More than 100 residents gathered at the Humber River Centre in downtown Bolton on Saturday night for a Cinco de Mayo festival featuring Mexican music, traditional dance, food and shopping, Caledon Citizen reported.
The celebration, organized by the Bolton Community Crew, drew attendees to activities both inside and outside the centre despite a chilly May evening. Performances included mariachi bands and traditional dances, while an indoor market offered clothing, jewellery, food and other goods.
Sarah Leslie, chair of the Bolton Community Crew, said the event has been held for seven years. According to Leslie, both attendance and the number of vendors have increased as the celebration returns each May.
Leslie said introducing residents to cultural experiences is important to the organization. The group chose the widely recognized Cinco de Mayo celebration as a way to give the community an opportunity to learn while enjoying a local event.
She described the turnout as evidence that residents want activities in their community. After a long winter, Leslie said, the festival offered people a chance to leave home and try something outside their usual routine.
Local vendors join the celebration
Among the businesses at the market was Heavy Petals, a new floral business owned by local resident Samantha D’Alessandro. Visitors browsed flowers and bouquets at her display and could enter a raffle.
D’Alessandro had spent more than 10 years developing her floral skills before deciding to launch her own business after returning to Canada from Australia.
She said participating in the festival gave her a way to introduce the business to Bolton residents. As a local owner, she wanted her presence at the market to reflect her emphasis on community connections and shopping locally.
For D’Alessandro, the event was both a celebration to join and an opportunity for visitors to see what her new business offers. Her flower display was part of the broader selection of merchandise available to festivalgoers inside the centre.
Outside the market, the live performances drew a crowd. Leslie pointed to the gathering around the entertainment as a sign that the event was meeting the organizers’ aim of bringing residents together.
She said the Bolton Community Crew’s goal was to get community members out to enjoy a different experience. Seeing residents participate, even in the cool weather, left organizers feeling they had achieved that goal.
