Special Event - Cinco de Mayo

2018 Lake Los Angeles Cinco de Mayo

Charro Parade & Festival is in the books

By Shirley Harriman

Lake Los Angeles – Cinco de Mayo Parade –

The annual Charro parade and festival is brought to the community by the Latinos Americanos en Accion.

The parade in this community on Saturday May 5th was truly an outstanding equestrian and cultural event. Hundreds of Lake Los Angeles residents, their friends and visitors from far and wide were thrilled at the number of and the incredible beauty of the estimated 600 horses in the 2018 parade, the dancers, bands and floats. The clapping and photo snapping was in high gear as could be heard all along the parade route.

Parade watchers lined 170th Street East from East Avenue O all the way to the park corner at East Avenue P. The street was packed on both sides with parade watchers for the 24th Annual LLA Cinco de Mayo Charro parade and festival.

The colorful surroundings were enhanced with Aztec dancers that danced all the way to the end of the parade in 80+ degree heat, Folklorico dancers from Lancaster, Littlerock, Palmdale, Pearblossom, Lake Los Angeles and other communities performed through the whole six tenths of a mile parade route and the horses offered their dance steps to amaze the crowds. Colorfully decorated floats carried vibrantly attired participants, bands, queens and their courts public officials, representatives for various communities and businesses and warriors and princesses in native cultural costumes.

The horses staged at the end of the parade on the lot adjacent to LLA county Fire Station #114 for more music, more dancing and more discussion about horses, photo ops and bask in the overwhelming success of the parade.

The community and guests went on to the Sorensen Park where the celebration included musical performances, Folklorico dancing groups of all ages, sponsor booths and to enjoy the cool grass under the shades of the Park’s trees. The park was packed with happy people enjoying the event and the celebration until the Park had to close. East Avenue O was lined with vehicles from 170th Street East to the west gates of the park on both sides of the streets as two thousand or more people flocked to the Park for the day.