NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marcos Mora
(402) 734-3240, [email protected]
30th Anniversary Cinco de Mayo Omaha Celebration Features Education Theme;
Highlights Include Parade, Carnival, Fiesta & Exhibitors, Concerts and More
Community Events Take Place Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3, 2015
OMAHA, Neb., April 21, 2015 — First National Bank and the South Omaha Business Association (SOBA)
present the 30th annual Cinco de Mayo Omaha festival from Friday, May 1 through Sunday, May 3. All events
take place along and around historic South 24th Street between L and P Streets in the heart of South Omaha.
Cinco de Mayo Omaha 2015 highlights include a parade, a full carnival with rides and midway games, a
variety of food and refreshments including a beer garden, and various vendors and exhibitors. The familyfriendly celebration features activities just for children ages 2 to 10 (Mundo de Niños / Kids’ World) as well as
activities and entertainment for pre-teens and teens (Area Juvenil / Youth Area). Live music from area
performers and internationally known Mexican music acts Control and Alacranes Musical also entertains
festivalgoers throughout the weekend. Associated events include a job fair and education fair on Saturday, a
health fair on Sunday, a Sunday boxing event, the Saturday Cinco de Mayo Queen coronation, and Sunday
morning Christian services.
Since the first local Cinco de Mayo was organized three decades years ago as a small South Omaha celebration
concurrent to celebrations in Mexican-American communities throughout the U.S., the Omaha event has
grown into a full-fledged festival and a destination for celebrants of all cultural backgrounds. Attendance
continues to increase, and the 2015 festival is expected to welcome more than 65,000 visitors from eastern
Nebraska, western Iowa, and even as far away as South Dakota, Kansas and Missouri.
The mission of Cinco de Mayo Omaha is to promote the Mexican culture and bring awareness to South Omaha
businesses and organizations while raising funds for local non-proﬁt groups. Proceeds from food and
refreshment booths are directed to local nonproﬁt groups that serve the South Omaha community.
Cinco de Mayo Omaha 2015 Events by Day
Friday, May 1 (7 p.m. -10:30 p.m.):
· Queen Candidates Introduction, 7 p.m. - Cinco de Mayo Queen candidates greet the audience.
· Kickoff Concert, 5:30 p.m. - Control–the band that bills itself as “Los Reyes de la Cumbia” (the Kings of
Cumbia)–performs, with guest artists Escencia Latina and Rosendo Robles y La Gente VIP. Admission is $5
(kids under 12 admitted free), but concertgoers can get a $1 discount on concert tickets purchased at any
Supermercado Nuestra Familia, or $1 off concert tickets when presenting their First National Bank debit or
credit card the day of the show.
-MORECinco de Mayo Omaha 2012 • P.O. Box 7816 • Omaha, NE 68107 • 402.734.3240 • CincodeMayoOmaha.com
· Carnival, 5:30 p.m. - Features rides and midway games. All-day carnival ride passes are available at any
Supermercado Nuestra Familia store at a $5 off discounted rate.
Saturday, May 2 (9:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.):
· Race of the Bulls, 9:30 a.m. -The first-ever Race of the Bulls precedes the parade. Runners and walkers
cover the one-mile route while bull-costumed mascots chase them down the roadway. A portion of proceeds
benefit the South High School cross-country team.
· 30th Annual Cinco de Mayo Parade, 10 a.m. -The dazzling parade—one of the largest in the Midwest—
features floats, marching bands and other entertainers cheered on by crowds lined up along historic 24th Street
on the southbound parade route between D and L Streets.
· Education Fair, noon-5 p.m. -Representatives from area colleges and universities provide information and
talk to potential students.
· El Perico Job Fair, noon -Job-seekers looking for new opportunities make connections with an array of local
employers.
· Fiesta & Exhibitors, noon - Food and merchandise vendors offer a wide variety of snacks, refreshments,
souvenirs and information.
· Kids’ World & Youth Area, noon - Mundo de Niños / Kids’ World features activities for children ages 2 to
10; Area Juvenil /Youth Area features activities and entertainment for pre-teens and teens.
· Carnival, noon - Features a second day of rides and midway games. All-day carnival ride passes are
available at any Supermercado Nuestra Familia store at a $5 off discounted rate.
· Queen Coronation, 1 p.m. - The new Cinco de Mayo Queen is crowned and runners-up announced.
Sunday, May 3 (noon - 6 p.m.)
· Health Fair, noon - Area health institutions provide a variety of health information and screenings, with
health professionals on hand to answer questions.
· Fiesta & Exhibitors, noon - Food and merchandise vendors offer a wide variety of snacks, refreshments,
souvenirs and information.
· Kids’ World & Youth Area, noon - Mundo de Niños / Kids’ World features activities for children ages 2 to
10; Area Juvenil /Youth Area features activities and entertainment for pre-teens and teens.
· Carnival, noon - Features a third day of rides and midway games. All-day carnival ride passes are available
at any Supermercado Nuestra Familia store at a $5 off discounted rate.
· Victory Boxing Showdown, 2 p.m. - A celebration of the 10-year anniversary of Victory Boxing, spectators
are invited to witness 15 exciting matches and incredible talent. No admission fee.
· Concert Finale, 3 p.m. - Alacranes Musical, the “princes of Duranguense music,” with with guest artists
Clave 402 and Grupo Supremos de Linares. Admission is $5 (kids under 12 admitted free), but concertgoers
can get a $1 discount on concert tickets purchased at any Supermercado Nuestra Familia, or $1 off concert
tickets when presenting their First National Bank debit or credit card the day of the show.
-MORECinco de Mayo Omaha 2012 • P.O. Box 7816 • Omaha, NE 68107 • 402.734.3240 • CincodeMayoOmaha.com
Cinco de Mayo Queen Candidates
The twelve candidates for 2015 Cinco de Mayo Queen are: Gabriela Aguilar, Salma Banda, Marely Chavez,
Abigail Diaz de Leon, Laura Espejel, Araceli Gil, Yaslene Lopez, Laura Magaña, Marilynn Martinez, Ana
Sanchez, Abigail Torres, and Sheila Vega. Young women who enter the competition must be between 17 and
25 years old, maintain a GPA of 2.5 or greater and be Spanish/English bilingual.
Candidates make appearances at Cinco de Mayo before the Friday night concert and during the Saturday
morning parade. The winner is crowned at a 1 p.m. coronation ceremony on Saturday. The 2015 Queen and
runners-up receive Metropolitan Community College scholarships along with cash and gift card prizes.
Grand Marshals
In honor of the 2015 Cinco de Mayo celebration’s education theme, six grand marshals representing local
educational institutions lead the Saturday morning parade. The grand marshals are:
Dr. Mary Hawkins, President, Bellevue University - Dr. Hawkins joined Bellevue University in 1995 and
since her arrival, the university has experienced record enrollment growth and has been consistently ranked as
one of the nation’s best online learning and military-friendly institutions.
Dr. Maryanne Stevens, RSM, President, College of St. Mary - Dr. Stevens began her role in 1996.
Dedicated to creating an environment to call forth potential and foster leadership, CSM has developed several
innovative programs under her leadership including a residence hall for single mothers of college age to live
with their children on campus; Marie Curie scholarships for low-income women majoring in science or math;
the Latina and African-American Summer Academies for ninth- and tenth-grade high school girls, and the
development of a unique online doctoral program for educators.
Dr. J. Chris Bradberry, Interim President, Creighton University - Dr. Bradberry joined Creighton
University in 2003 and is currently serving as Interim President. Dr. Bradberry is active in a number of
professional organizations and has held offices in a number of local, state and national pharmacy associations
including American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American Society of Health-system Pharmacists,
and others.
Mr. Randy Schmailzl, President, Metropolitan Community College - Schmailzl has served in numerous
positions at Metropolitan Community College (MCC) since April 1989 and has been president since August
2009. He has managed every area at the college including educational affairs, student affairs, financial
management, facilities management, institutional advancement, institutional initiatives, public safety,
information technology, support and cultural services.
Mr. Mark Evans, Superintendent, Omaha Public Schools - Evans became superintendent in July 2013,
providing innovative leadership for Nebraska’s largest school district serving more than 52,000 students.
Evans led the administrative charge in guiding OPS through its first strategic planning effort in over a decade,
and during his tenure the district received voter approval of the largest school bond in state history.
Dr. John Christensen, Chancellor, University of Nebraska Omaha - Dr. John E. Christensen was named
chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha in May 2007. The university’s 14th leader, Christensen is
the first UNO graduate to lead his alma mater in the institution’s 102-year history. Christensen began his UNO
career in 1978 as a faculty member and subsequently served as department chair, dean, and vice chancellor for
Academic and Student Affairs. During his career, Dr. Christensen’s teaching, research, and service has
focused on educator preparations, special needs students and communication disorders.
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Cinco de Mayo Omaha 2012 • P.O. Box 7816 • Omaha, NE 68107 • 402.734.3240 • CincodeMayoOmaha.com
About Cinco de Mayo Omaha 2015
The mission of Cinco de Mayo Omaha is to promote the Mexican culture and bring awareness to South Omaha
businesses and organizations while raising funds for local non-proﬁt groups. Cinco de Mayo Omaha 2015 is
presented by First National Bank, Supermercado, Children’s Physicians, La Nueva 1020 AM, Mighty 1290
KOIL, Mission Foods, Guerrero Tortillas, Cox Communications, Mundo Latino, Metropolitan Community
College, Boys Town, University of Nebraska Omaha, The Reader, El Perico,La Michoacana, Sigue Corp.,
Nebraska Realty, Castro Realtors Group, Quality Brands /Corona, Bellevue University, OneWorld Community
Health Centers, Omaha Community Foundation, American Classifieds, Mexican Consulate, Douglas County
and SOBA. For more information on Cinco de Mayo Omaha, visit www.cincodemayoomaha.com.
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Cinco de Mayo Omaha 2012 • P.O. Box 7816 • Omaha, NE 68107 • 402.734.3240 • CincodeMayoOmaha.com