Fiesta Broadway, one of the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations, is held in Los Angeles. The festival takes place on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles and combines live music, food, dancing, cultural displays, and family activities.
The event was created to celebrate Mexican and Mexican-American culture in a city with a large Mexican American population. Its name refers to Broadway, a historic downtown street that becomes the center of the festivities. Although Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s victory over France at the 1862 Battle of Puebla, celebrations in the United States often emphasize cultural pride and community traditions.
Fiesta Broadway is sometimes confused with Mexico’s official observance of Cinco de Mayo. In Mexico, the holiday is especially associated with Puebla, while U.S. events such as Los Angeles’s festival have developed into large public celebrations featuring regional music, Mexican food, and entertainment. The festival’s downtown setting also connects it with Los Angeles’s long history of Mexican and Mexican-American cultural life.