CINCO DE MAY

Mocktail drinkers, we understand if you just want to drink in Mexican culture. Here are some family-friendly celebrations and arts events.
Cinco de Mayo in Chula Vista
Chula Vista celebrates the Battle of Puebla during its Cinco de Mayo community fair (5/4).
Fiesta Poblana
Want to learn more about the story behind Cinco de Mayo? Centro Cultural de la Raza hosts an evening of dinner, dance and history in Balboa Park (5/4).
Cinco de Mayo Celebration Bazaar del Mundo
The Old Town square presents dance and mariachis all day long (5/2-5).
Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo
There's just nowhere else more appropriate to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than San Diego's Old Town - come for music, margaritas and mariachis (5/3-4).
Oceanside Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo on the northwest coast of San Diego County (5/4).

ARTS
"La Gaviota" (through 5/17) Love in the time of the Mexican Revolution. Ion Theatre's reimagining of Chekhov.
"Innocence is Questionable" (through 5/31)
T.J. and San Diego artists exhibit at CCAE.
Chicano Park (daily)
Check out the murals on the freeway overpasses.
Spanish Village Art Center (daily)
Enjoy a day of art as you stroll through this historic village.
Bottle Night (5/5)
OK, so Sushi at a pizza joint isn't exactly Cinco de Mayo, but May 5 you can catch site-specific dance pieces at Basic.
If you want to skip the festivals but don't want to miss the great food and drink, these restaurants and bars are must-stops.
TRIED AND TRUE (AND SOMETHING NEW)
Hacienda de Vega: This 1.4-acre hacienda dates back to the 1930s, has amazing outdoor garden seating, private casitas and cuisine from Mexico City.
El Agave: The bar menu boasts more than 200 tequilas.
Frida: Moody lighting, fruity sangria, homestyle cooking and decadent crepes make this restaurant a funky dining spot.
Hacienda del Patron: You'll find dinner, music and dancing at this South Bay spot.
CASUAL AND SIMPLE (JUST PLAIN GOOD):
El Comal: This nondescript North Park restaurant has excellent family cooking, hot chewy tortillas, creamy refried beans and great steak.
Pescados y Marisco: Try turtle tacos and micheladas - beer with clam juice - at this Chula Vista strip mall spot.
Lucha Libre: Because who doesn't love Mexican wrestlers? If it's Friday, watch a fight in T.J. after.
Cantina Mayahuel: These tacos look like they were designed by Frida Kahlo in one of her better moods. So does the funky intimate interior.
Mama Testa Taqueria: Its delicious regional tacos take you on a tour of the country.
Las Cuatro Milpas: At more than 70 years old, the restaurant must be doing something right.
El Indio: Many prefer this longtime San Diego landmark to Old Town.
La Hacienda: This caballero kitsch restaurant serves up a zesty albondigas soup.
Siete Mares: Fight May gray with its authentic Caldo de Camarones (Mexican shrimp soup).
FIESTA ZONE (HERE'S THE PARTY):
On this day of donning sombreros and burning berets, your craving for salty, sweet-and-sour intoxication should lead you to at least one (if not all) of the following:
• In San Diego's own private Margaritaville - Old Town, that is - the tab's the cheapest at the Alamo, the crowd's the rowdiest at Old Town Saloon and the accents are the thickest (which makes the scene the most authentic, hands down) at Casa Guadalajara.
• If you're looking to find the real deal, head to Casa Machado and shout "Salud" alongside living, breathing vaqueros and moms unwinding with the kids after soccer practice, followed by a game of pool at El Bar.
• Micheladas, Mexico's take on the Bloody Beer, are served poolside at the Pearl.
• Baja Betty's deep-blue Kick Ass Margaritas are deep enough to swim in. Boardshorts belong on the patio at Gringo's or over at Firehouse, where a $29 margarita is actually worth the price.
• Ponce's is known for pouring 'em strong, but one of the best margies in town awaits at the ever-faithful Turf Club.
• South of the border in Tijuana, Señor Frogs is not only a given but within walking distance from San Ysidro.
• La Cantina de los Remedios is the local's palace-sized party hall that's almost as glorious as the Sistine Chapel, with a loteria mural that stretches across the ceiling.
• Want the full TJ experience? Start off at El Dandy del Sur, Nortec's favorite little dive, before skipping across the street and through the enormous neon-red star that leads into La Estrella, where all-night norteño marathons almost always ensue.
• Not in the mood for working up a sweat? Head around the corner to Mike's Disco, where the male strippers do the dancing for you.