DETROIT (WXYZ) — The West Vernor & Springwells Business Improvement District (BID) will once again kick-off the summer with "Cinco de Mayo Week" in Southwest Detroit beginning Wed., May 1 through Sun., May 5.
The festivities feature discounts and promotions at area businesses, special family-friendly events, a Taco Tour & Tequila Crawl, gift certificate giveaways and much more. The "Cinco de Mayo Week" in Southwest Detroit campaign celebrates one of the city's most culturally diverse communities. People who visit one of 16 selected community murals and art installations and take a selfie, and then post the photo to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #CincoSWDet, will be entered to win a gift certificate from local businesses. The list of artwork includes community murals as well as free-standing art installations that are well-known throughout Southwest Detroit. To be entered in the giveaway, selfies must be posted beginning at 8 a.m. Wed., May 1 through 7 p.m. Sun., May 5, with winners announced on Tuesday, May 7. Last year, nearly 50 gift certificates from area retailers, merchants and restaurants were awarded.
On Wed., May 1, "Cinco de Mayo Week" in Southwest Detroit will officially get underway with an invite-only, Community Influencer Breakfast beginning at 9 a.m. at La Terraza located at 8445 W. Vernor Hwy. The event will feature a delicious, authentic Mexican breakfast, special performances by students of Raices Mexicanas and the Center of Music & Performing Arts Southwest (COMPAS), and formal remarks by BID and SDBA representatives. Invited attendees include local elected officials, community and business leaders. Media RSVPs are required. The breakfast is sponsored by the SDBA.
On Thurs., May 2, "Cinco de Mayo Week" will celebrate "Dulce" (sweet) Thursday, an effort to shine a spotlight on all things sweet and delicious in Southwest Detroit. The promotion features many wonderful bakeries, mercados and sweet shops located throughout the area. Shoppers can purchase a number of affordable baked goods and treats like pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread), delicious cakes, desserts and other treats. Participants are encouraged to visit any of the BID- and SDBA-member bakeries, mercados and sweet shops to learn more about and enjoy authentic and delicious Mexican sweet treats.
On Fri., May 3, a total of 15 authentic Mexican restaurants and taquerias will be featured during a Taco Tour & Tequila Crawl. The self-guided tour, which consists of authentic Mexican restaurants and taquerias found along four different routes, will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight. There is no cost to participate in the tour. Each participant is responsible for all costs associated with their food and beverage orders. Restaurant participation, hours of operation and customer specials may vary.
On Sat., May 4, the "Shopping Saturday" focus will be on the great savings and deals that can be found while shopping among the hundreds of local merchants, mercados, bakeries, meat markets and specialty stores. Shoppers can find a variety of affordable merchandise such as cowboy boots, baptismal gowns, hand-sewn dresses, Mexican pottery, beautiful jewelry and brand-name furniture, among many other items. Fresh produce and traditional cooking ingredients are bountiful and include freshly made tortillas, baked good, and specialty cuts of seasoned meats. The Shopping Saturday focus will be on the great shopping options available in Southwest Detroit. Customer sales, special promotions and hours of operation will vary by participating business.
On Sat., May 4 and Sun., May 5, three Cinco de Mayo family-friendly events will draw thousands of visitors and attendees to Southwest Detroit. On Sat., May 4, and Sun., May 5, a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta presented by the Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit will be held from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, located at 21st Street between Bagley Ave. and W. Vernor Hwy. The event will feature artwork from local and national artists, a number of food trucks featuring authentic Mexican food, among other delicious food offerings, and goods and merchandise from local vendors and businesses. Attendees also will enjoy live music and special cultural performances throughout each day.
On Sun., May 5, the Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit will host its 55th Annual Cinco de Mayo Parade. The parade begins at noon with a new starting and ending location from W. Vernor Hwy. and Central Ave. to W. Vernor Hwy. and 23rd St. This year's grand marshal for the parade is Hacienda Mexican Foods owner Lydia Gutierrez. The parade will be led by the Detroit Police Department Equestrian Squad and the Western International High School ROTC, and will feature more than 50 local community organizations, nonprofits and businesses.
On Sun., May 5, the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and Mercado at Clark Park presented by Grahams Rainbows Blessing Hands and supported by local businesses, agencies, corporate sponsors and community partners, will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. at Clark Park. The event will include family-friendly activities such as a bouncy house and slide, petting zoo, exotic petting zoo, clowns, face-painters and special characters can be found throughout the day. Attendees also will enjoy a variety of food and beverages available FREE of charge.
For more information, visit http://www.swdetroitbid.com/
Taco Tour & Tequila Crawl
Patton Park Area Tour:
Mariscos El Salpicon, 8600 W. Vernor Hwy. - (313) 914-2214
La Terraza, 8445 W. Vernor Hwy. - (313) 843-1433
La Posada, 1930 Springwells St. - (313) 841-1690
El Asador Steakhouse, 1312 Springwells St. / Reservations Recommended - (313) 297-2360
Central Ave. Area Tour:
Taqueria Nuestra Familia, 7620 W. Vernor Hwy. - (313) 842-5668
El Nacimiento Restaurant, 7400 W. Vernor Hwy. - (313) 554-1790
Los Altos Taqueria, 7056 W. Vernor Hwy. - (313) 841-3109
Saint Hedwig Park Area Tour:
El Rancho, 5900 W. Vernor Hwy. - (313) 843-2151
Los Corrales, 2244 Junction Ave. - (313) 849-3196
El Barzon, 3710 Junction Ave. / Reservations Recommended - (313) 894-2070
La Rosita, 7849 McGraw St. - (313) 297-3145
Clark Park Area Tour:
El Palenque Restaurant, 5426 W. Vernor Hwy. - (313) 849-1319
Taqueria El Rey, 4730 W. Vernor Hwy. / Cash-Only - (313) 357-3094
Armando's Mexican Restaurant, 4242 W. Vernor Hwy. - (313) 554-0666
Los Galanes Mexican Restaurant, 3362 Bagley St. - (313) 554-4444
