Cinco de Mayo event coming to Blackwell

Blackwell Tourism is following through on a long-discussed event that has been in various stages of planning for years: a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the Blackwell Fairgrounds.

Blackwell’s inaugural Cinco de Mayo event will be May 5 at the Blackwell Fairgrounds livestock building from 6 to 10 p.m. It will feature traditional live Mexican music, games, food and more.

Blackwell Tourism members said the event is their way of celebrating Mexican culture in the United States and specifically in Blackwell.

According to the 2020 Census, Kay County had a Hispanic/Latin population of more than 3,600, which made up about 1% of Oklahoma’s entire Hispanic/Latin population.

In Blackwell, the Hispanic/Latin demographic makes up 8% of the city’s population, according to the Census.

The tourism group said it intends to build on this year’s event and make it a popular annual attraction, alongside other events such as the Tulips Festival, the Kay County Free Fair and others.

The tourism group plans to offer several food options. Local taco truck Tacos El Sauz will be on hand, and local residents will sell tamales. Nachos from Los Potros will be sold at the concession stand, and Blackwell’s frozen ice treat truck, Cooly’s, will also be present.

A DJ will play music, and there will be pinatas, hat dances, limbo games, a sombrero toss, door prizes and a bounce-house.

The group expects to hear soon from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2855, which is meeting this week to vote on selling margaritas and beer at the event.