Red, white and green to flutter at parade

The celebration in Dade City of Cinco de Mayo also will feature games for children, dance contests and food.

By MICHELLE JONES
Published May 4, 2005

DADE CITY - People can celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the farm workers community at 4 p.m. Thursday in Dade City. A parade, beginning at U.S. 301 and Calle de Milagros (Lock Street), kicks off an evening of festivities celebrating the holiday. Other activities will be at the park at Lock Street and Meredith Avenue. Activities include dancing, food, games and music.

The employees and volunteers of Farmworkers Self Help Inc. sponsor the parade.

Cinco de Mayo, meaning May 5, celebrates the day in 1862 when a group of farmers in Puebla, Mexico, defeated the French army in a big battle.

"They ran them inland until they were tired and beat the socks off of them, and then they sent them packing back to France," said Margarita Romo, executive director of Farmworkers Self Help.

Romo says the Mexican farm workers mark Cinco de Mayo to celebrate their heritage and their victory against a mighty force.

"This is more important than the liberation of Mexico, because it shows what working together can do," Romo said. "Even if you are poor, you can make things happen."

The celebration is mainly for the children, Romo said. The young ones will receive free hot dogs, chips and soda. There will be contests, including sack and egg-carrying races and fishing games.

Adults will compete for prizes in dance contests.

And there will be food. Residents will bring covered dishes with recipes expressing their Mexican heritage.

Gift baskets prepared by the Farmworkers Self Help group and gift certificates from the Dade City business community will be awarded throughout the evening.

Although the parade is short, it will be festive, with decorated cars, a ROTC marching unit from Pasco High School, a firetruck and beads and candy thrown along the parade route.

Red, white and green ribbons and Mexican flags will be flown, draped on cars and tied to trees along the parade route and in the park.

[Last modified May 4, 2005, 00:58:13]