from “le détroit” · the strait
The Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit marches its annual Cinco de Mayo parade 2.4 miles down West Vernor on Sunday, May 3, under the theme Estamos Unidos.
Southwest Detroit closes West Vernor for its Cinco de Mayo parade every year, and this Sunday it happens again. The Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit steps the procession off at noon on Sunday, May 3, rain or shine, according to the committee's own event page.
The parade runs 2.4 miles along the West Vernor corridor, starting at Patton Park near Woodmere Street and ending at Clark Park near Scotten Street. Floats, dance groups, school marching bands, charros, and other performers fill the route. The committee says the day honors the Battle of Puebla, fought May 5, 1862.
This year's edition marks the parade's 61st year, and the theme is Estamos Unidos, or We Are United. Per the committee's announcement carried by EL CENTRAL Hispanic News, Jesse Gonzales Sr. will serve as grand marshal, recognized for community service across Southwest Detroit. The committee is also widening the showcase to reflect the many Latino communities that shape the neighborhood.
The Mexican Patriotic Committee is waiving all participation fees for school marching bands this year, an effort to bring more student musicians into the procession. A decoration contest will award a grand prize for the best themed entry among cars, walkers, and floats, with winners receiving a trophy and free admission to next year's parade.
The fiesta opens Saturday, May 2, at noon at the Patton Recreation Center and runs both days from noon to 8 p.m. The committee lists folkloric dancing, live bands, mariachis, a DJ, a Selena tribute, and a Southwest Championship Wrestling exhibition among the weekend's offerings.
For the merchants whose storefronts line the route, the parade is one of the most commercially consequential days of the year. The West Vernor strip between the two parks is dense with restaurants, bakeries, gift shops, and taquerias, and a single Sunday in early May can account for a meaningful share of a small business's monthly traffic.
The committee's office sits at 7752 West Vernor near Central Avenue, on the same corridor the parade depends on. Registration for the parade and fiesta is handled there from noon to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. More information is posted at detroitcincodemayoparade.com and on the committee's site at mpcdetroit.org.
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