Cinco De Mayo-Taco Tuesday Event Helping to Support Flower Festival Candidate
Jarrod Zinn
LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – Community members in Lompoc took advantage of Cinco de Mayo falling on Taco Tuesday.
A local teen who is campaigning for Flower Festival Queen came up with the idea.
Ke’yarah Martinez, a candidate for the upcoming flower festival crown partnered with local businesses to organize a community wide cinco de mayo party.
“Even though I’m half Mexican, I think doing this event is so important just because it brings the culture, the amazing food that comes in with it,” says Ke’yarah Martinez, Lompoc resident and Flower Festival Queen Candidate.
Historically a commemoration of the Mexican army’s victory over French forces in 1862, Cinco de Mayo has since become a traditional celebration of Mexican-American heritage.
“This is such an important experience for me, because the heritage that goes into this isn’t very welcomed in our country,” says Martinez.
It might be a convenient coincidence that the celebration fell on Taco Tuesday this year, but Martinez took advantage of it.
“One of my sponsors came up with this idea, I was like, that’s different, that’d be fun,” says Martinez.
In addition to a bounce houses for the kids, the music, and the festive beverages, a taco eating contest brought the event together over the culturally originated but internationally favorite finger food.
“Delicious, delicious,” says Joseph Morin, Lompoc resident and first-place winner of the contest. “Supergrill always has really good, yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome tacos. So I was looking forward to it. Girlfriend starved me for about a week to do this, so I’m ready.”
The first place winner won a cash prize and 2nd & 3rd place winners brought home gift cards to local businesses.
“I’m still starving,” says Morin. “I wish I had another rack, truthfully, I can keep going. I’m ready.”
The Flower Festival Queen, who wins based on raffle ticket sales, will be coronated prior to the festival next month.
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