The Cinco de Mayo Festival started out as a local street fair in 1987, but has grown over the years to become the largest Cinco de Mayo Celebration in the US. Each year the event attracts an estimated 300,000 visitors who attend the weekend's event that include live entertainment, art exhibitions, children's entertainment and food and drink stalls. The celebrations commemorate the Mexican Army's defeat of the invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th 1862. The date is not an obligatory federal holiday, however, it is celebrated in the United States where Mexican heritage is remembered