For the 15th consecutive year, the city of Little Rock will gather for the annual Cinco de Mayo festival. The League of United Latin American Citizens Council will host the event from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Clinton Presidential Center Park.

The festival will feature authentic Mexican and Central American food, arts and crafts, and games for children throughout the afternoon.

There will be live Latin American bands, folkloric ballet, Mariachi, zumba and salsa dance, international and authentic Mexican food trucks, and more.

The event is free and open to the public. However, donations will be accepted on behalf of the UALR Patricia Guardado Endowed Scholarship Fund and other UALR scholarships.

For more information, go to Arkansas events.

For more information on how to make a gift to the Guardado scholarship fund, please contact Angela Elizandro at 501-683-7501.

Students & Diversity Programs to host campus celebration

The Office of Campus Life Diversity Programs and the Hispanic/Latino Initiative, a student success program, will celebrate Cinco de Mayo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, May 6, in the upper concourse of the Donaghey Student Center

The event is a cultural celebration and will include music, dancing, and free food.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.

Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.

For more information, contact, Kara M. Brown, of UALR Diversity Programs.