CINCO DE MAYO FIESTA OFFERS TASTE OF MEXICO : OLVERA STREET EVENT BLENDS FOOD, MUSIC, COLOR.Byline: Virginia Gonzalez Daily News Staff Writer Mouth-watering mouth·wa·ter·ing or mouth-wa·ter·ing adj. Appealing to the sense of taste; appetizing: the mouthwatering aroma of a baking pie. Adj. 1. smells of sizzling siz·zle intr.v. siz·zled, siz·zling, siz·zles 1. To make the hissing sound characteristic of frying fat. 2. To seethe with anger or indignation. 3. Mexican food on the grill, the sound of ranchera The ranchera is a genre of the traditional music of Mexico. Although closely associated with the mariachi groups which evolved in Jalisco in the post-revolutionary period, rancheras are also played today by norteño (or Conjunto) or banda (or Duranguense) groups. and acoustic guitar music, the bright blur of twirling Twirling is any of several artforms, hobbies, or sport and recreational activities accomplished by spinning or rotating the twirled object either for exercise, or in a rhythmic, or otherwise artful manner. folklorico dancers, the thirst-quenching taste of tamarindo water were all reasons to celebrate Saturday at Olvera Street's Cinco de Mayo Cinco de Mayo (Spanish; “Fifth of May”) Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862. The French army, better-equipped and far larger than the Mexican army, had been sent by Napoleon III to conquer Mexico. fiesta. The three-day celebration that continues today commemorates the 1862 victory in Puebla of a small Mexican army troop over a larger band of French soldiers. Festivities fes·tiv·i·ty n. pl. fes·tiv·i·ties 1. A joyous feast, holiday, or celebration; a festival. 2. The pleasure, joy, and gaiety of a festival or celebration. 3. to commemorate Cinco de Mayo in Los Angeles attracted thousands to partake in traditional food and drink, music, entertainment and artistry along Los Angeles' oldest street first settled by Mexican immigrants in the 1780s. ``We didn't have breakfast this morning so we could sample all the Mexican foods here today,'' said Carla Crawford of Azusa as she and her four daughters each munched on sweet, oven-roasted corn on the cob smothered smoth·er v. smoth·ered, smoth·er·ing, smoth·ers v.tr. 1. a. To suffocate (another). b. To deprive (a fire) of the oxygen necessary for combustion. 2. in a mayonnaise-butter-Parmesan cheese sauce in the main plaza area. ``I really wanted my kids to get a real sense of what Cinco de Mayo is all about besides treating them to some great food.'' ``So far, my favorite has been (watching) the dancers,'' laughed Crawford's daughter Nicole, 11, holding a corn on the cob in one hand and waving her hand to the beat of the music being heard by hundreds as they also watched performers on the center stage. Hungry visitors lined up to taste such special foods as gorditas - fried corn tortillas similar to pita pockets stuffed with a choice of meats, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and a pat of sour cream. Brightly colored fruit-flavored snow cones or raspados and a variety of aguas, flavored juicelike drinks such as horchata Horchata or orxata is the name for several kinds of vegetable beverages, made of ground almonds, rice, barley or tigernuts (chufas). Etymology The name comes from Valencian orxata, probably from ordiata, made from ordi and tamarindo waters slaked slake v. slaked, slak·ing, slakes v.tr. 1. To satisfy (a craving); quench: slaked her thirst. 2. thirsts and sweet tooths of people trying to keep cool under sunny and hot skies. Rudy Rutiaga and Stacey Harvey took a smart approach to finding each of the marketplace's offerings: They picked a corner table at La Luz de Dia Restaurant, which overlooks the plaza area, while sipping cool drinks spiked with slices of lemon. ``I've been coming here for Cinco de Mayo since I can remember - it's all about celebrating my Mexican heritage and enjoying the culture, food and music,'' Rutiaga said from his table while watching a group of young folklorico dancers on the plaza's center stage. Saturday was the Simi Valley couple's third year attending the annual Olvera Street celebration. They said they could think of no better way of soaking up the Mexican ambience than a daylong stay at the marketplace. ``So far we've had tacos, taquitos - mmm, they were great - beans, rice, tortas and lots of chili powder sprinkled in there somewhere,'' Harvey said with a laugh. ``We even took a short nap at the park because we ate so much. I know I won't feel like eating a thing tomorrow because that's how I felt last year the day after we came here.'' Vendors participating in the marketplace's Cinco de Mayo festivities offered everything from T-shirts and hats to music discs and carnival rides and games. There were free health screenings, community-service-oriented booths and an arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. station sponsored by Inner City Arts that catered to visiting children. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1) Fernando Armenta gives his daughter Andrea, 3 , a better view of events at Olvera Street on Saturday. (2) Maria Garcia sprays her daughter Maribel's hair prior to her performance. Gus Ruelas/Daily News |
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