6 Spots To Celebrate Cinco De Mayo In & Around Mendham/Chester

MENDHAM/CHESTER, NJ — Cinco de Mayo, always observed on May 5, falls on a Tuesday this year, so the celebration of Mexican heritage and culture starts this weekend in many cities, including in and around Mendham/Chester.

From food deals to full-blown fiestas, Mendham, Chester, and neighboring towns are offering several ways to celebrate the Mexican holiday.

Spots and observances include:

• Fresco Mexican, 137 Main St, Chester
• Aztec Authentic Mexican Restaurant, 35 Perry St, Chester
• May 5: Ice Cream Nachos at Ort Farms, Long Valley
• May 2: Morristown Cinco De Mayo Bar Crawl kicks off at the Frog Restaurant & Sports Bar at 5 p.m.
• May 5: Cinco de Mayo Outdoor Event hosted by Homestead Bar & Kitchen in Morristown, noon to 8 p.m.
• Chico’s Mexican Grill, 559 E. Main St., Denville

Cinco de Mayo marks Mexico’s 1862 victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla, when an outnumbered Mexican army pulled off an unlikely win.

The date is often mistaken for Mexico’s Independence Day, which actually falls on Sept. 16 — decades after independence from Spain was secured.

While May 5 is an official holiday in Mexico, celebrations there are generally modest and largely centered in Puebla, where parades and ceremonies commemorate the battle. In contrast, the holiday has grown into a major cultural and commercial event in the United States.

Cinco de Mayo celebrations here date back to Mexican American communities in California in the years following the Battle of Puebla. The holiday spread nationwide during the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and expanded further in the late 20th century, evolving into the widely observed — and often party-focused — occasion seen today.

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