Cinco de Mayo is only a week away and there are plenty of ways to celebrate the occasion in Philly. From eating your weight in tacos (one is never enough) to washing them down with margaritas (dangerously delicious), summer is so close, you can literally taste it on Cinco de Mayo. Here are five ways to celebrate it this year.
El Rey’s All-Day Block Party
Saturday, May 5
12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Free to enter
2000 Block of Ranstead St.
elreyrestaurant.com
Where else can you hear a live mariachi band as well as stuff your face with tacos? At El Rey’s All-Day Block Party, of course! For the fourth year in a row, the restaurant will be serving up tasty bites from Chef Dionicio Jimenez, that include a menu of nachos, guacamole and corn tortilla tacos (chicken, beef, pork and veggie), as well as classic & mango margaritas and beer (Tecate, Corona and Modelo). There will also be activities for the kids, like face painting and crafts, which were provided by the Mexican Consulate.
Drink a $100 Margarita
Friday, May 4 to Saturday, May 6
Reservations required
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
555 East Lancaster Ave.
flemingssteakhouse.com
Have you grown up a bit since your Cinco De Mayo experiences from college? Want to be a little extra fancy? Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Radnor is serving up a $100 margarita all weekend long. It features premium liquors like the Tequila Herradura Seleccion Suprema and Grand Marnier Centenaire. It will also be served in Baccarat’s Diamant Highball, which you can take home after you’re done drinking!
Fill up on tacos
Saturday, May 5
Revolution Taco
2015 Walnut St.
therevolutiontaco.com
If you bring your own tequila (BYOT) to Revolution Taco in Rittenhouse on Cinco de Mayo, you can get fresh fruit drink mixers for only $3.00. You can also get a free order of chicharron with any purchase, and it will include barbecue spice and housemade poblano ranch. They’ll even have a grill fired up outside, where you can get grilled hanger steak tacos, seasonal fish tacos and grilled local oyster mushroom tacos. $8 gets you two tacos — but no mixing and matching.
Play free virtual reality
Saturday, May 5
11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
South Street Spring Festival
600 Block of South Street
southstreet.com
Mad Rex will be providing free virtual reality at South Street Spring Fest this year! They’ll be set up near Atomic Comics at 6th and South. After you explore the festivities, you can head over to the mothership in Fishtown (1000 Frankford Ave.), where they’ll be serving up the Mad Margarita (Fresh fruits: guava, papaya, orange, pomegranate; Don Julio; ghost pepper salt rim). The drink can be shared with up to three people for $20.
Álla Abajo (Down Below): A reaction to our times
Through July 8
Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
1020 South St.
phillymagicgardens.org
Mexican artist Ornella Ridone debuts a new exhibition just in time for Cinco de Mayo at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. Suspended hand-embroidered textiles explore themes of immigration, consumerism and the complicated relationship between Mexicans and Americans. The work was inspired by Ridone’s 2017 visit to Philadelphia, and if you want to view Cinco de Mayo festivities with newfound perspective, you should check it out.
