THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 18, 1996 TAG: 9604160169
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SCOTT McCASKEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
Mexico is about 1,800 miles away, but distance doesn't get in the way of Norfolk hosting a roaring Mexican-style celebration.
More than 8,000 revelers are expected for the third annual Cinco de Mayo festival from 5 to 9 p.m. May 3 in Town Point Park.
The party drew some 7,000 people in 1995, according to Sponsorships Unlimited and Festevents, producers of the large-scale fiesta.
Cinco de Mayo, which means the fifth of May, marks the date in 1862 that the Mexican army defeated the French army in a battle at the city of Puebla, Mexico. The Town Point event is held each year on the Friday or Saturday nearest to May 5.
Crowds can expect plenty of Corona beer, margaritas and a rich layout of Mexican cuisine. The musical lineup also will be hot, with salsa sounds from Richmond's Bio Ritmo and Hampton Roads' Orchestra Sensacional.
Blockbuster Music will have booths offering a variety of Mexican and Latin artists.
``This is an American celebration of Cinco de Mayo,'' said Nadine Paniccia, president of Sponsorships Unlimited. ``We're having all salsa music this year. Though it's not authentically Mexican, it provides much of the same feeling. In the future we plan to have Mexican bands out of San Diego.''
The celebration is free to the public and draws a wide mix of Norfolk residents along with people from throughout Hampton Roads. by CNB