Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Old Town, May 6-7

As if you need an excuse to drink a margarita, that might be reason enough for Cinco de Mayo to exist these days. It's kind of a weird pseudo-holiday, because people mistakenly refer to it as Mexican Independence Day, which it is not. In fact, Cinco de Mayo referes to a relatively minor event in Mexico's history, the 1862 Battle of Puebla, where Mexican forces defeated the French (man, the French lose to everyone!). So what does this have to do with San Diego? Well, a lot, since San Diego is considered the birthplace of California, so we do indeed have a rich Mexican history. And the best place to experience this is in Old Town State Park. Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo presented by Barona (May 6-7) lets you experience the arts, history and culture of old California with 200 performers at eight venues and over 100 specialty booths. OK, so it doesn't occur exactly on May 5, but why quibble? It's an excuse to have a margarita, right? For more information about Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo and the schedule of events, check out the official website.