FREMONT – The 8th annual Cinco de Mayo Festival in Fremont filled the downtown streets with happy faces, food trucks, dancing, vendors and a table full of jalapeño-eating contestants with faces looking a little sick and full of regret.
“I love coming here because I see lots of old friends and I love the music. It opens up my soul,” Henry Cruz said May 2.
He was selling baked goods from El Aguila Bakery. Like the event t-shirts and raffle, the profits went to the Latino College Award scholarships.
One of the most popular events is the jalapeño-eating contest.
The seven contestants sat together at a picnic table. The winner, Carlos Vasquz, was the first to eat 20 large jalapeños, all the way to the stem. Each contestant had only one bottle of water to help get them down.
Vasquz won $25 and received a medal. He recently moved to Fremont from California.
“I feel good. I’m on fire!” Vasquz said with a big smile.
The 2026 Heritage Award honoree was Victor Jimenez.
“He was chosen in recognition of his outstanding dedication to preserving the culture and supporting community initiatives, as a business owner, and ensuring that the Latino college scholarships prevail through the sponsorships of the Cinco de Mayo Festival,” Cinco de Mayo Committee chair Lydia Alejandro said.
Jimenez is the owner of Casa Fiesta restaurant and the Victor Events Center.
This year’s scholarship winners are Anthony Salazar, Aubrey Pfotenhauer, Daniel Sanchez, Lorena Galvan and Amaree Haralson.
“We’re going to make this bigger and better every year,” Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez said, as he urged the crowd to cheer in thanks for the work done by the Cinco de Mayo Committee, Lydia Alejandro and all the rest of the organizers.
Contact Roger LaPointe at 419-332-2674.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Cinco de Mayo Festival filled Fremont streets with happy faces
Reporting by Roger LaPointe, Fremont News-Messenger / Fremont News-Messenger
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