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Cinco fun No. 1 with celebrants

Thousands pack park for good food, bands - and pride

By Bill Gallo, Special to the Rocky

Published May 5, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Pedro Rodriguez holds a Mexican flag as he stands above the crowd gathered for Denver's Cinco de Mayo festival at Civic Center.

Photo by Darin McGregor © The Rocky

Pedro Rodriguez holds a Mexican flag as he stands above the crowd gathered for Denver's Cinco de Mayo festival at Civic Center.

Two girls with the Fiesta Colorado dancers watch as older dancers perform during the Celebrate Culture Festival - one of the largest in the United States, with three music stages and 350 vendor booths - on Sunday in downtown Denver. Thousands jammed Civic Center for the event.

Photo by Photos By Darin McGregor / Rocky

Two girls with the Fiesta Colorado dancers watch as older dancers perform during the Celebrate Culture Festival - one of the largest in the United States, with three music stages and 350 vendor booths - on Sunday in downtown Denver. Thousands jammed Civic Center for the event.

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On a day commemorating an 1862 victory over the French by outnumbered Mexican forces, 8-year-old Jason Jaramillo refused to be defeated by a bean- and-barbacoa burrito the size of his leg.

The front of the third-grader's T-shirt was decorated with a fresh splotch of salsa - a battle wound of sorts. But as the Mariachi de las Artes blared away Sunday afternoon in Civic Center, little Jason fought on.

"I'm not done yet," he announced to his dad, Steve, as he took another bite.

The father and son, from Aurora, were among thousands of Cinco de Mayo celebrants who crammed into the downtown park this weekend to soak up sunshine, tacos and Tecate, to hear Latin jazz, barrio rock and nortena, and to take pride in themselves.

Denver's annual Celebrate Culture Festival began as a street fair in 1967 and is now said to be one of the largest Cinco de Mayo bashes in the U.S., complete with carnival rides, three music stages and 350 vendor booths selling everything from hot tamales to job opportunities with the federal Bureau of Prisons.

At the State Farm batting cage, the Vinny Castillas of tomorrow waved plastic bats at plastic baseballs, and at the Noah's Ark Petting Zoo, a toddler kissed a black-and-white goat.

"It just makes me feel good to be here," said Vonda Morales, 24. "In with the people. My people."

The Metropolitan State College junior and two friends were headed to the Enchanted Airbrush Tattoo booth to get temporary skin art. What designs? "Maybe a Mexican flag," Morales answered. "And an American one."

The holiday also is marked by cruising up and down Federal Boulevard. Denver police limited cruising to areas north of Sixth Avenue and reported 164 moving violations over the weekend.