Few communities bring as much joy to Cinco de Mayo as Southwest Detroit.

The annual Hispanic holiday,  which translates to “Fifth of May,” commemorates the Mexican army’s historic 1862 victory in battle against French troops during the Franco-Mexican War. But in America the occasion lets Latinos and Latino descendants celebrate their heritage, often with meals and social gatherings.

As Michigan’s most popular destination for Cinco de Mayo revelers, Southwest Detroit is expanding the holiday into a six-day celebration, presented by the West Vernor & Springwells Business Improvement District (BID) with support from the Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA).

Featuring special promotions and discounts offered by area businesses, family events, and showcasing artwork and prizes, the week’s themes and attractions are designed to help highlight one of Detroit’s most culturally diverse communities, organizers say.

“We’re excited to show off the great dining, shopping and cultural happenings in Southwest Detroit during our very first ‘Cinco de Mayo Week’ celebration,” says Jason Ghannam, West Vernor & Springwells BID board chair. “Our businesses are ready to roll out the red carpet to not only welcome our neighbors, but also encourage new visitors to explore the area and find the many great amenities that make our community shine.”

Scheduled events include:

• May 1-3 – Customers mentioning “Cinco Week in Southwest Detroit” to servers at West Vernor & Springwells BID and SDBA member restaurants will be eligible for various discounts and promotions at not only Mexican, but also Caribbean, Italian and American dining establishments.
• May 1-6 – Visitors to the neighborhood can stop at one of 16 identified community murals and art installations, take a “selfie,” post images to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #CincoSWDet, and be entered to win a gift certificate from local businesses. Images must be posted by 6 p.m. May 6 and winners will be announced May 8.

Here are some examples of the murals and their locations:

• May 4 – A Southwest Detroit “Taco Tour and Bar Crawl” invites customers to support participating restaurants from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. and vote for their favorite eatery by taking a photo of their meal and posting images to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, using the #CincoSWDet hashtag. Bragging rights and the title “Best Taco in Southwest Detroit” will belong to the restaurant that earns the most votes.
• May 5 – Savings and special deals on everything from freshly made tortillas to brand-name furniture will be available at hundreds of Southwest Detroit mercados, bakeries, meat markets, gift shops and specialty stores.
• May 6 – The Mexican Patriotic Committee of Metro Detroit will host the 54^thAnnual Cinco de Mayo Parade at noon, beginning in Patton Park (West Vernor Highway and Woodmere St.) and ending at Clark Park (West Vernor Vernor Highway and Scotten St.).  Led by the Detroit Police Department Equestrian and the Western International High School ROTC squads, the parade will include 50 local organizations, businesses, and schools. The Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and Mercado at Clark Park, presented by Grahams Rainbows Blessing Hands, will follow the parade, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Featuring a bounce house and slide, petting zoo, clowns and other entertainment, plus hot dogs, nachos and snacks, the event is free to attend.

In conjunction with “Cinco de Mayo Week” SDBA has developed and launched its first mobile app, Savor Southwest Detroit, available for Android devices and Google Play store, to promote local business and community events.

To learn more details about contests, participating restaurants, bars, vendors and other highlights please click here.

This Small Shops feature is supported by Bank of America. To learn more about Bank of America’s many programs and resources for small business owners visit:

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