By Joe Contreras, Photos by Alex Johns & Joe Contreras Latin Life Denver Media, ( See several photo galleries below. It may take a minute for everything to load so please be patient).
The 2024 Cinco de Mayo Festival in Denver’s Civic Center Park was another rousing success with two days of cultural entertainment, food and fun for everyone under the sun. (See People Photo Gallery Below)
Organized by NEWSED, Community Development Corporation the two day fiesta, which for years has been regarded as the largest Cinco de Mayo festival not just in Colorado or even Mexico, but in the world attracting 400,000 people annually. It is also the largest cultural festival in Colorado. Latin Life Denver was honored to be a Media Sponsor for the tenth year in a row.
(See Photo Gallery Below)
Background info provided by NEWSED, Community Development Corporation
Historically the Cinco de Mayo holiday commemorates the victory of a heroic people and their struggle for freedom. On May 5, 1862 the outnumbered town of Puebla, Mexico defeated French forces which fueled the momentum and national confidence to ultimately drive foreign power completely from the country. Today in areas of Mexico and the United States this recognition and celebration of culture and freedom resonates as these values apply to everyone.
The Cinco de Mayo Denver event started in 1988 as a neighborhood street fair to showcase Mexican heritage while promoting the economic turnaround of the neighborhoods along the Santa Fe Drive corridor. By 1995, the festival had outgrown its location and moved a few blocks to Denver’s Historic Civic
Center Park where it took its place among Colorado’s top four outdoor food and entertainment events. Although the event attracts approximately 70% Hispanic attendees, a large cross section of the community is represented. Due to this, the event receives greater visibility through English and Spanish media outlets.
The NEWSED Community Development Corporation was founded in 1973. Its mission is to promote the economic success of underserved populations in the seven-county Denver metro area through community development with a focus on affordable housing, small businesses and asset creation. Visit
Newsed.org to learn more.
As of July 1st, 2019, the total Hispanic/Latino population in the United States reached 62.1 million people, constituting 18.7% of the total population, according to the United States Census Bureau (USCB).
As of today, people of Hispanic/Latino origin makeup the nation’s largest ethnic or racial minority. In Colorado alone, the Hispanic/Latino community makes up 21.8% of the total population; making it
the second largest ethnic group in the state.