Newsroom

CORVALLIS - Oregon State University will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with dinner, dancing and music on Saturday, May 1, in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

The celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $8, or, for children 12 and under, $4. Dance-only tickets are also available for $5 - dancing starts at 9:30 p.m. to the live band, Grupo Testamento and continues until 1:30 a.m. The evening is sponsored by OSU's Hispanic Student Union.

Cinco de Mayo, May 5, is a national holiday for Mexico - second only to Sept. 16, Independence Day. On May 5, 1862, a small group of poorly trained Mexican peasants, under the command of Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza, emerged victorious in a battle against a regiment of 6,000 French soldiers under the command of Napoleon III.

The evening's entertainment will include performances by Mariachi Jalisco, guest speakers and folklorico dancing - traditional regional dances of Mexico.