# Omaha marks 106 years of Cinco de Mayo with major festival  
**Published:** 2026-05-15T03:36:07.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omahas-weekend-cinco-de-mayo-event-marks-more-than-century-of-fiestas/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/omaha-marks-106-years-of-cinco-de-mayo-with-major-festival

OMAHA, Neb. — [Nebraska's largest Cinco de Mayo celebration returns this weekend to South Omaha](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omahas-weekend-cinco-de-mayo-event-marks-more-than-century-of-fiestas/), marking more than a century of fiestas in a historic neighborhood that has served as a cultural beacon for Latino communities across the region.

The three-day festival, running through Sunday along historic South 24th Street, is expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors from six surrounding states, with [organizers estimating the event will inject $7.5 million into the local economy](https://www.culturaomaha.org/post/casa-de-la-cultura-honored-with-prestigious-2023-henry-fonda-award). The festival features live music and performances that are free and open to the public.

Saturday's parade, beginning at 9:30 a.m., will include more than 100 entries and showcase traditional charros on dancing horses alongside floats featuring longtime South Omaha families including the de Loa, Barrientos, Valadez, Lara and Aguilera families. Sunday will open with a [mariachi Mass at 10:30 a.m. at the Plaza de la Raza](https://www.cdmomaha.com/) at 24th and N Streets.

The celebration marks 106 years of Mexican festivities in South Omaha, an area [once its own city before annexation by Omaha in 1915](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha,_Nebraska). The neighborhood emerged as a destination for Mexican workers and their families beginning around 1900, drawn by jobs in the meatpacking plants, railroads and agricultural operations.

[La Casa de la Cultura](https://www.culturaomaha.org/), the event's primary organizer, noted the festival's significance extends beyond celebration. The organization received [the Henry Fonda Award in 2023, Nebraska's highest tourism recognition](https://www.culturaomaha.org/post/casa-de-la-cultura-honored-with-prestigious-2023-henry-fonda-award), for its efforts to drive cultural awareness and economic development.

"It's a win-win for our families in South Omaha as well as for businesses in bringing in tourism dollars," said Marcos Mora of La Casa de la Cultura. "People get hotels, go to the zoo, museums. This culturally and significantly contributes to the fabric of the Omaha area."

The festival was postponed from May 5 to this weekend to avoid conflicts with other major Omaha events, including the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting and a downtown music festival.

Friday festivities begin at 3 p.m. with food booths, entertainment and information vendors. Saturday activities continue through 8 p.m., while Sunday concludes at 9 p.m.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omahas-weekend-cinco-de-mayo-event-marks-more-than-century-of-fiestas/)
- [Casa de la Cultura - Henry Fonda Award 2023](https://www.culturaomaha.org/post/casa-de-la-cultura-honored-with-prestigious-2023-henry-fonda-award)
- [Cinco de Mayo Omaha Official Website](https://www.cdmomaha.com/)
- [Wikipedia - South Omaha, Nebraska](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha,_Nebraska)

---

This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omahas-weekend-cinco-de-mayo-event-marks-more-than-century-of-fiestas/.