Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center May 7

Larry Hodge, 903-676-2277, larry.hodge@tpwd.texas.gov

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ATHENS—The annual Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. May 7.

The event will feature performances of traditional Mexican dances in the Hart-Morris Conservation Center beginning at noon. Athens area elementary students will perform at noon followed by Tyler Ballet Folklorico at 1:00 p.m. and the children’s Tyler Ballet Folklorico at 3:00 p.m.

Athens area restaurants will compete in a salsa contest, which will be judged at 2:00 p.m. Visitors will be able to sample the entries as well.

The Blackland Prairie Raptor Center will do walk-around displays of birds including owls and hawks throughout the day. Visitors will be able to see the birds at close range and learn about their abilities and habits.

Food vendors will include El San Luis Restaurant, Ted Kamel Foods and Crazy Crawcajun among others.

In contrast to prior years, there will be no evening activities.

Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the joint heritage and history of Texas and Mexico. It honors an important victory of the Mexican army, led by Texas native Ignacio Zaragoza, over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The victory helped preserve Mexican independence.

More information on Zaragoza can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacio_Zaragoza.

Sponsors of the event include Citizens National Bank, Red Hat Rentals, FutureMatrix, Inc., East Texas Medical Center, Schneider Electric, KCKL, Athens Chamber of Commerce, Aaron’s Sales and Lease, First State Bank, Lilly Enterprises—McDonalds, and Texas Trust Credit Union. The Athens Key Club will decorate the Hart-Morris Conservation Center for the event.

For more information on the event contact James Booker at (903) 670-2266, james.booker@tpwd.texas.gov. Se habla español.

For information on the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, call (903) 676-2277 or visit http://tpwd.texas.gov/tffc.