OC's Best Cinco De Mayo Events

Who says Cinco de Mayo is all about margaritas and clamatos? Keep your day of Mexican pride classy by checking out these not-all-about-drinking events.

Long Beach's Pine Avenue Cinco de Mayo Celebrations
200 N Pine Ave
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 590-5000

For the big celebration, 3 top latin eateries will be holding their own parties with food and drinks. Gaucho Grill (200 North Pine Ave.) will serve up Dos Empanadas and beers which includes 2 empanadas of your choice served with 2 Mexican beers (ie. Corona or Dos Equis) for just $10. Just next door, Agaves Kitchen & Tequila will feature their own happy hour all day with food and drink specials including a specially priced Mexican Mule (a Cinco de Mayo twist on the traditional Moscow Mule) and Mercadito (Agaves's signature margarita with a jalapeno/cucumber flair). A DJ will liven up the action starting at 6pm. Alegria at 115 North Pine Ave will offer taco flights (any 3 of their favorite tacos) for just $7 and happy hour drink specials as well. Also on the menu will be the winning taco from the Great American Taco Challenge, a contest sponsored by Alegria.

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, Garden Grove will be putting on a fiesta on Monday, May 5th from 10am to 12pm. Festivities include traditional food, dancing and live musical acts.

SOL Cocina
251 E Pacific Coast Hwy
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 675-9800
www.solcocina.com

Instead of beer and tequila fests, Newport Beach's SOL Cocina is serving a margarita brunch at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 5. Drink specials will be available all day, and live music will ring through the restaurant starting at noon. Sol Cocina also holds private tequila tastings, with more than 70 tequilas on the line up.

Rancho Days Fiesta
Heritage Hill Historical Park
25151 Serrano Road
Lake Forest, CA 92630
(949) 923-2230

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the battle of the Mexicans versus the French. At Rancho Days Fiesta, the history of ranchos and Native American tribes is mashed up with Cinco de Mayo at Heritage Hill Historical Park. The park, which represents the early development of the Saddleback Valley and the El Toro area, brings home the fact that California used to belong to Mexico — which also means the serving of gourmet Mexican food such as Soho Tacos is ever more apt. There will be music, dance, crafts, food and hands-on activities for all ages.

Psycho de Mayo
The Observatory Orange County
3503 S. Harbor Blvd
Santa Ana, CA
www.observatoryoc.com

Probably the weirdest and awesomest event to happen in Orange County for Cinco de Mayo, Psycho de Mayo celebrates local psychedelic musicians and artists at a day-long festival at The Observatory in Orange County. The 2nd annual event will be held on Sunday May 11th, 2014 from 12pm to 2am and all ages are welcome. Artists include SAint Vitus, Kadavar, Dead Meadow, The Shrine, Dahga Bloom, Zig Zags and many many more.

Lilledeshan Bose celebrates gratuitous holidays because she likes holidays. Tweet at her: @lillitot.