Cinco de Mayo Party Ideas

Have a Cinco de Mayo celebration! Every year, May 5th is reserved for the biggest and baddest Cinco de Mayo fiesta that anyone has ever seen. The bar crowds get larger, the Cinco de Mayo party decorations multiply and become more colorful, and the margaritas get tastier. Use these Cinco de Mayo party ideas to create an unforgettable Cinco de Mayo party theme.

Cinco de Mayo Party Invitations
A personalized fiesta invitation could be just the thing needed to get your party off to a great start. You can even roll it up and tie it with party beads Let your guests know that the beads must be worn in order to gain admittance into the party.

Or create your own invitations on stationary with a chili pepper border. Remember to give all of the important information, which should mention dressing appropriately for this festive fiesta (including the decorative sombrero and colorful serape you bought on your last trip to Mexico). Throw a little confetti in the envelope to add some fun!

cinco de mayo Decorations
No Cinco de Mayo party would be complete without a chili pepper wreath hanging on the door, found at your local import store or world food market. You can make one yourself if you're feeling adventurous. A few more of these party decorations will really add spice to your venue:

• A personalized fiesta banner hanging over your front door or buffet definitely says that your house is where to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
• If you want the fun to start at the front door, think about a life-sized cutout of a male or female Flamenco dancer; it's a great way to greet your guests, especially if you're busy elsewhere.
• Hang strings of lights all over the place. They look perfect by the buffet, bar, and around doorways.
• Bouquets of red, black, orange and green balloons around the room will add to the festive atmosphere.  Include metallic chili pepper, margarita, and sombrero balloons to each bouquet if you're feeling fancy! Don't forget a chili pepper balloon weight.

Colorful handmade blankets from Mexico make fabulous wall decorations, as do large sombreros.

cinco de mayo buffet, bar and Table Decorations

Decorating your tables for Cinco de Mayo is easy! A few of our favorite ideas:

• Use the brim of a sombrero as a chip bowl! Set out a few different salsas. A decoration and a functional part of your buffet!
• Clear containers filled with bright limes make a great accent for the bar (useful for all those Coronas too!).
• Mini cacti make great placecards (and double as a party favor).
• Lay a Mexican Serape on top of your tablecloth as an accent.
• Forget fresh flowers... use tissue paper ones instead!
• Pinatas can do double duty as a buffet decoration/centerpiece and party activity!
• Have you ever wanted to let loose and shake your maracas? Well now is your chance! Place a few sets of maracas on each table (or as a centerpiece depending on the size of the table). Encourage your guests to shake the maracas every time they hear a certain song/word during the evening. This makes for fun entertainment as well as nice decoration.
• Keep your centerpieces simple with a sombrero decoration.  Sprinkle paper confetti around each centerpiece to finish off the look!

cinco de mayo menu

Don't forget to serve a great drink! How about a Pina Colada or Margarita? Bottles of Corona are a must. Combine the best of both worlds... serve your guests a Corona Margarita!
 

Corona Margarita

• 6 ounces white or blanco tequila
• 12 ounces Corona
• 6 ounces frozen limeade concentrate
• Ice cubes to suit
• Lime flavored salt
• Lime wedge (optional)

Cover the rim of the glass with the salt. Pour all ingredients into blender and blend well. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Cinco de Mayo games and Activities
Add some spice to your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta by having a Hot Pepper Eating Contest. The challenge is to see how many hot peppers your guests can eat without bursting into flames. You are going to want to buy mostly mildly hot peppers like pepperoncini, banana peppers, and pimentos. But get some hot peppers for the brave guests; jalapeno, chili, and polano peppers all pack a wallop.

And for the grand finale - habanero peppers. Prepare a table outside with big bowls of chilies, plates, and latex gloves, because some peppers tend to be hot to the touch. And pour glasses of milk for your friends to kill the burn of eating all those peppers!

Too hot for you? Here are a few more fiesta activities to consider:

• Teach everyone to do the Macarena or the Mexican Hat Dance and have a contest to see who is the best dancer.
• Hang a bull piñata, and let everyone have a turn trying to knock it to the ground.
• Mexican Hat Dance: Get a sombrero or two (depending on how many are attending the party), add some Latin fiesta music and watch everyone prove what an “expert” dancer they are.
• Light Up Limbo - Play some fun music while your friends stand in line waiting to bend backwards low enough to fit under the limbo stick. In order to win, the limbo master must not touch the stick or fall on the floor while limbo-ing under the stick (which is usually held by 2 people).

See our Fiesta Party Games for more great ideas!

Cinco de Mayo Party Favors
Don’t forget to give your party the personal touch. A personalized fiesta theme candy bar is the ultimate party favor. Set them in the rim of a sombrero by the door. It will remind your guests who throws the best Cinco de Mayo fiesta in town.
You can also hand out a few fun wearables to all of your guests:

• Fiesta Beads
• Chili Pepper Hats
• Red and Green Feather Boas

Cinco de Mayo History
On the 5th day of May in 1862, the Mexicans defeated the French army at the Battle of Puebla. The holiday Cinco de Mayo is a commemoration and celebration of the victory of the smaller Mexican army over the larger and more modern French army. Although it is celebrated and recognized as a holiday in all areas of Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated most heartily in the state of Puebla where the French were defeated. It is, however, becoming more common to see the celebration stretch to other states within the U.S. and along the border of Mexico where many people with Mexican ancestry live.

Now that you've had a quick history lesson, join in the fun and celebrate Cinco de Mayo with style! You can also check out our Mexican fiesta party, South of the Border Fiesta. Have fun at your Cinco de Mayo Celebration!