Happy Cinco de Mayo (eve)! I’m sure we would all love to have plans to be sitting on a patio somewhere tomorrow being served endless margs & guac, but there are many ways to incorporate the beautiful colors and flavors of Mexico into your own at-home celebration.
Whether or not you plan on celebrating on the actual date, I love this theme for any May birthday, and did a 10th birthday party two years ago for a girl born on May 15th. We called it “Quince de Mayo” and had a fiesta at a farm!
Cinco de Mayo, quite literally May 5th, celebrates the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire. It’s more popularly celebrated in the US than in Mexico and is associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture. I love the lively colors and intricate details associated with Mexican decor, so it’s a dream palette to work with… and a menu you know everyone will love!
This original fiesta was at a farm, but your deck, backyard, or driveway could be the perfect spot. I used my cousin’s large flat rear driveway because it reminded me of the town square’s in Mexico, and gathering for art fairs and street entertainers!
My decor search was centered around Papel Picado, “perforated paper”, or beautiful paper banners made by cutting elaborate designs into tissue paper. I found mine on Etsy (linked below), but there are also tutorials online for how to make your own. If your party is going to be outside, be mindful of the delicate nature of tissue paper. Metallic paper or a thicker paper may fare better if it’s going to be a windy day! Even though I prefer the look of the tissue paper, I used a mixture of both, and if I was ordering again, I would also do a variety of sizes. I framed the party space with these banners to give it that town square feel!
In lieu of live flowers, I taped paper flowers from an old garland to the table for an asymmetric centerpiece. This came about almost by mistake, they were just sitting on the table with other decor and I thought they looked kinda cute so arranged them in the center but could have lined an entire table with them!
Cactus plates and napkins are a cute touch, although an odd shape! Would be perfect to eat some churros on!
Mexican grocery stores often have an amazing selection of made fresh daily salsas and chips, the best hot sauces, and the perfect kid-loved drink (and adult mixer) for your fiesta…Juarritos! My favorite flavor is grapefruit, and my favorite sparkling water is also the Mexican Topo Chico!
As for the menu, even the pickiest eaters tend to love Mexican food, and putting together a homemade menu of tacos, quesadillas or fajitas is pretty easy, or can be catered pretty affordably. Great sides include (of course) guac and chips, salsas, street corn salads or cobbs, red rice & beans. If you want to make something a little more playful, try walking tacos served right out of a Fritos individual size bag! One of my favorite guilty bites is Imperial in Ferndale, MI, and they serve gourmet bacon wrapped hot dogs with Mexican flare. We made these for a party and they were surprisingly easy and equally delicious!
Mini cacti and succulents make for great decor and can double as a party favor when put in these El Pato salsa cans! Your local nursery/greenhouse is likely still open and offering curbside pickup. Just make sure you drill a little hole in the bottom of the can and line with small stones or charcoal to allow for proper drainage.
Now of course, you’ve got to have a piñata! Use whatever candies you have on hand, or support a Mexican grocery store by purchasing a bulk bag of Mexican candies for a really authentic experience! Add some confetti to your Piñata for some extra flare when it’s finally cracked! You can often get a cutely decorated piñata bat or just use any hard stick you can find!
A fun and easy craft that will make your fiesta pictures even cuter are Mexican flower crowns! You just need a bright colored headband, some faux flowers, and a hot glue gun. Just glue the flowers more centered towards the top to give it more of a Mexican style.
The fake flowers for the crowns can double as your centerpiece, just have them sprawled along your table and the kids can pick from them when it’s time to do the craft!
They’re pretty cute! You may want one for yourself…
As always, please pay close attention to all CDC and governing guidelines to assure your fête is safe for all! If you try this party at home, please tag/hashtag @feteandfinery! I would love to see your pictures!
Items in stock and shipping within 1 week (as of 5/4/20):
Papel Picado (metallic, more durable in wind)
Jarritos (check your local mexican grocer)
Cactus Plates (different version)
Meri Meri Cactus Cupcake Toppers
We are in this fight against Coronavirus together, even though we are apart. Until it’s safe for us to gather & celebrate together in-person, there are still ways to make life’s many special moments and milestones special and uniquely yours. For more Party-in-Place free tutorials, click the images below:
