Cinco de Mayo was celebrated on Monday, May 5 — and through the preceding weekend — around Southern California, commemorating the historic victory in 1862 by a Mexican militia of 4,500 men who fought back against a much bigger French force during the Battle of Puebla about 80 miles southeast of Mexico City.

These days the anniversary is celebrated at events such as Fiesta Broadway in Downtown L.A., known as one of the biggest celebrations of Cinco de Mayo in the world, as well as myriad community gatherings and promotions at bars and restaurants.

But one community focuses on the history that created Cinco de Mayo. On Monday, Boyle Heights’ Mariachi Plaza hosted a gathering that celebrated Mexican culture and history. The celebration at Mariachi Plaza included traditional dancing, mariachi and regional music performances, cultural performances, food vendors and artisan booths.

The event was sponsored by Los Angeles City Council District 14, the Government of the State of Puebla, and the Women’s Business Center in L.A.

The intersection of 1st and Lorena streets in Boyle Heights was officially renamed La Plaza Cinco de Mayo in 2024 and features a sign that says “La Batalla Que Nos Une,” in English meaning “the battle that unites us.” Former City Council District 14 Councilmember Kevin de León proposed the new name in 2023 to commemorate the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France.

Miles away from Boyle Heights, another community embraced the history of Cinco de Mayo. The Catalina Museum for Art and History in Avalon hosted its annual Cinco de Mayo celebration in the evening that featured performances by Mariachi Las Catrinas, Ballet Folklorico Quetzal and Avalon School students from transitional kindergarten through fifth grade.