Cinco de Mayo Party Ideas

Looking for fun Cinco de Mayo party ideas? Cinco de Mayo is all about getting together to celebrate Mexican heritage and culture. Celebrate the fifth of May creatively, leaving your guests looking forward to next May.

Bailamos Cinco de Mayo Party Idea

Invite your guests over and treat them to an evening of Latin-style dancing and fun. Find a local dance studio that teaches Latin-style dancing and inquire about hiring an instructor for the evening (if you and your friends don't already know how to salsa). Note on the invitation that guests should bring their dancing shoes so that no one is caught by surprise. Have the instructor teach everyone how to salsa, meringue or mambo and then spend the rest of the evening dancing. Serve light finger food with Tex Mex flair such as guacamole, tortilla chips, taquitos and empanadas.

Taste of Mexico Recipe Exchange Party

On the invitation, instruct each guest to bring a Tex-Mex or authentic Mexican dish to share. Ask each guest to e-mail you his or her recipe ahead of time. As the host, prepare a large batch of margaritas, and some arroz con pollo to help fill out the meal. Compile all the recipes and give each guest a cookbook of the recipes as a party favor to take home. Everyone will leave with a great meal and a slew of new recipes to try.

Cinco de Mayo Dinner Party

Invite guests over for a real Mexican fiesta. Decorate your dining area with paper lanterns in bright colors such as white, green and red (the colors of the Mexican flag). Serve sangria or margaritas to drink and enjoy tacos, enchiladas or traditional tamales. For dessert, try your hand at making flan, a traditional Hispanic dessert. Set your iPod to play classic Spanish guitar during dinner and enjoy the opportunity to chat with friends. Although Cinco de Mayo commemorates a great military victory, it is celebrated today with food, family and friends. Nothing makes Cinco de Mayo more memorable than a great dinner shared with close friends.

Karaoke Latino Style

If you've never tried to do karaoke for a party before, rest assured that it is always a hit. Rent or buy a karaoke machine and set it with popular Latin songs. Ideas include:

"Smooth" by Rob Thomas featuring Carlos Santana
"Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez
"I Need to Know" by Marc Anthony
"Bailamos" by Enrique Iglesias

Latin Movie Night

Since Cinco de Mayo is all about celebrating Latino culture, why not host a party themed around a particular Latino movie? Grab some friends and enjoy one of these classic Hispanic movies:

Selena
El Cantante
Little Ashes
Frida
Lambada

Serve Tex-Mex appetizers such as taquitos, or season popcorn with cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder. Wash it all down with your favorite sangria recipe.

Margaritaville

What cocktails are traditionally served with Mexican food? Margaritas, of course! Have a group of pals over to enjoy some delicious margaritas over dinner. Decorate with floating candles in small margarita glasses and serve warm tortilla chips with homemade salsa. Play a game or two, or just enjoy time spent with friends.

Don't stop with just these few Cinco de Mayo party ideas. Anything that focuses on friends and family while paying a little homage to Mexican culture will make the fifth of May a day to remember.