Annual Roseland Cinco de Mayo event canceled due to coronavirus

Last year’s event drew an estimated 10,000 people to the Roseland Village shopping center in Santa Rosa where it has been held each year since its inception.|
DAN TAYLOR
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

The Cinco de Mayo celebration in Santa Rosa’s Roseland district, an important annual event for the Latino community in Sonoma County, has been postponed until 2021 out of concern over the COVID-19 pandemic and in response to the statewide stay-at-home order.

“It would have been our quinceañera, or 15th anniversary,” said spokeswoman Sylvia Lemus. Instead, that anniversary will be marked next year.

Last year’s event drew an estimated 10,000 people to the Roseland Village shopping center in Santa Rosa where it has been held each year since its inception. People come to celebrate their Mexican heritage with traditional music, dance performances and food.

“We plan to celebrate next year’s Cinco de Mayo in a special way,” organizers announced in an email statement. “Thank you to all our sponsors for their support throughout the years, and we hope you will consider sponsoring our event next year.”

Celebrated in Mexico and parts of the United States every May 5, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla, a Mexican military victory over the French forces of Napoleon III.

Sponsors include the city of Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, River Rock Casino, Redwood Credit Union, Exchange Bank, Recology, Aaction Rents, SouthPoint Self Storage and American Medical Response.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com.

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