Sounds like a joke

Double fiesta for Cinco de Mayo

BY JOSÉ BAYONA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Cinco de Mayo on May 13? Sounds like a joke, but it’s happening this year.
The 11th edition of the popular Cinco de Mayo Festival in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park will take place Sunday, May 13, instead of the usual first Sunday of May.

Organizers are making the most of it, deciding to celebrate not only the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla but also Mother’s Day, two themes they call dear to the Mexican community.

“This weekend, the Mets play at the Flushing stadium and the city moved our festival for the weekend
after,” said Carmelo Maceda, the festival’s director.

“We thought that would be a big problem since it’s Mother’s Day, but later we said, ‘Let’s pay tribute to them!’ ”

He explained that this year is not a regular celebration of Cinco de Mayo, but a big milestone.

“It’s the 150th anniversary of the battle,” said Maceda, “that finally kicked out the French Army from our country.”

Each mother who comes to the celebration will get a rose at the entrance so she can be recognized, said Maceda, adding that the Catholic Mass in honor of mothers will be officiated by Monsignor Eugenio Lira, who is traveling from Puebla, Mexico, for the occasion, and Father Lorenzo Atto of New York.

Among the Mexican artists performing, the main attractions will be the bombshell pop and cumbia singer Ninel Conde and corridos star Larry Hernández.

Casa Puebla, which organizes the festival, estimates that despite the date change 200,000 people will flood the festival area at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A long list of visiting and local artists at the event includes Dimas de la Fuente, a former member of the group Los Angeles Negros; the rock en español band Teoría Quintuple, and Los Herreros del Norte. La Sonora de Veracruz also will help get the dance going.

Ballet Durango and Ballet Amanecer will perform authentic indigenous dances from Mexico.

“It will be a day of fun and celebration in a family environment,” said Maceda.

For those who want to start the festivities on the actual May 5, there’s plenty of Cinco de Mayo special menus and margaritas in Mexican restaurants across the city this weekend, from midtown to East Harlem to Sunset Park.

And the Cinco de Mayo Parade, organized by the Asociación Tepeyac of New York, will take place Sunday starting at Central Park West at 106th St. at noon.