Cinco in Wisco

Illustration by Ryan Miller.

Here in Door County we’ll take any reason to have a good time. After a long, and depending on the day, a still very current winter, we locals are desperate to kick off the beginning of summer.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates General Ignacio Zaragoza’s successful campaign against French forces to help retain Mexican independence. Having never officially celebrated Cinco de Mayo, (a circumstance I blame on the pressures of finals week in college) I wasn’t sure how to go about it now that I have the freedom and time to enjoy the festivities in and around town.

And while Wisconsin may be over a thousand miles away from the Mexican border, Cinco de Mayo provides the perfect platform for a hybridization of Mexican and Wisconsin culture. A simple online search of holiday activities revealed a plethora of recipes for both food and drinks that exemplified traditional Mexican culture.

Because the holiday falls on a Sunday, and not the usual fiesta nights of Friday and Saturday, it might be a good idea to have a night with family or a few friends and try an authentic chicken or beef enchilada. Coupled with an ice-cold Corona or a margarita on the rocks, you’ll have a nice holiday night in before the start of another work week.

However, if you’re like me and lack the culinary skills or perhaps motivation to create your own homemade celebration, there are a variety of activities going on around the county in honor of our neighbors to the south. My best bet may be to go out for a holiday meal at one of the county’s bar and dining establishments serving up Cinco specials. JJ’s La Puerta, a Mexican-American themed restaurant in Sister Bay, typically has a variety of specials to celebrate the holiday and Husby’s of Sister Bay will be featuring two-dollar tequila shots and four-dollar margaritas.

The Door County Half Marathon will also take place during this holiday weekend, ensuring a lively scene in and outside the county’s bar and restaurant establishments.

So, with a plethora of fun to be had Cinco weekend around the county, throw that Sombrero on and start shakin’ those maracas for a celebration worthy of the winter breakthrough!