Alpine kicks off Cinco de Mayo with a gordita supper Friday

The Cinco de Mayo Committee will kick off the Cinco de Mayo festivities with a gordita supper.

The supper will take place from 5–8pm Friday, May 4, at the Alpine Elementary School cafeteria. Plates include two gorditas, rice, beans, salad, chili, tea and a dessert. The cost per plate is $7, and take-out plates will be available.

Tickets will be available at the door or by calling one of the following: Mary Ann Lujan at 432-294-2370, Frankie Betancourt at 294-1015 or Letty Gonzales at 386-3575.

In addition, the ABC Playschool Dancers will entertain diners, and D.J. Music will fill the cafeteria with tunes Mexicanas.

The 20th annual Cinco de Mayo Parade – an event that brings the community of Alpine and tri-county area together – will be on Saturday, May 5.

Entries will start lining up at 10:30am at the Alpine Civic Center, and the parade starts at 11am. The parade will head east on Holland Avenue toward Jackson Field. Prizes will be awarded for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd best float entries.

Everyone is welcome to participate in the parade, and there is no registration fee. All floats, bikes, motor vehicles, and horses are welcome to participate. The parade theme is Fiesta Cultural.

This year’s Grand Marshal’s will be three committee members who have kept the Cinco de Mayo celebration alive for many years: Mary Ann Lujan, Lety Gonzales and Frankie Betancourt, all of Alpine.

For more information on the parade, call Roxann Chavez at 432-294-0576 or 837-3200.

In addition to the parade, there will be a People’s Choice Car Show at Kokernot Park. Car show participants, which include cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles, are encouraged to ride in the parade.

The car show event will take place from 1-5pm, and a new event added to the festivities is a bicycle contest on Saturday, May 5 at 3pm. Participants are asked to park their bikes along-side the cars and motorcycles participating in the People’s Choice Car Show at 2pm at the Kokernot Park.  Winners will receive a Sonic card and plaque for first, second and third place.

Everyone is welcome to participate in this event.  Car Show winners will receive a T-shirt and plaque, and winners will be announced at 5:30pm.

For more information contact Mary Ann Lujan at 432-294-2370.

The Cinco de Mayo Committee will be hosting a free dance from 8pm-1am Saturday, May 5, at Centennial Park.

The band performing this year will be Romaldo y Grupo Fuerzzo of Ozona. Bring your own chair and beverage, and enjoy a night of dancing and great entertainment.

A big part of Alpine’s annual Cinco de Mayo festivities is the Gran Mercado.

This year’s Gran Mercado will be a two-day event, open from noon-6 p.m. Saturday, May 5, and from noon-7 p.m. Sunday, May 6.

The deadline for vendor registration is April 13; submit information to Mary Ann Lujan, 1102 W. Ave. I,  Alpine, TX 79830.

This year’s booth event fee will be $125.  Spots are filling up quickly so contact Mary Ann Lujan.

All vendors are responsible for their set-up, and may begin setting up at 7am on May 5. Booth space will be reserved upon receipt of a signed and completed contract, as well as the fee.

In addition to Sunday’s events is the performance by the Mystic Gitanas at 3:30pm at Kokernot Park.

For more information about booth reservations, contact Lujan at 294-2370.

The committee will be selling Cinco de Mayo T-shirts for $12 and here is the design on the shirts.  If you would like to purchase a T-shirt, please contact one of the committee members.