Celebrate Cinco de Mayo affordably

Cinco de Mayo on May 5, is a delightful holiday for a celebratory gathering with friends and family. If you’re like me, you’ll want to skip the restaurant crowds. As delicious as the food may be, it’s not worth fighting the crowds. Luckily, it’s easy and affordable to throw your own fiesta without spending a lot of money.

Taco bar

Buffet style, self-serve dining is always a hit when you’re entertaining a crowd. A taco bar is a fun, festive and super easy way to feed the masses. This is especially great for a family crowd that may have some picky eaters, who can choose what they’d like on their plate. Make it a potluck where the host provides the meats and guests bring sides. If you’d like to reduce clean up, make them “walking tacos” with plastic cups and forks or chips to dip.

Churro station

Everyone loves churros, and what’s not to love? What makes them such a fun and festive dessert is the fillings! Order a batch from a local bakery and add a creative twist by providing dipping options like chocolate, peanut butter, cream cheese or raspberry sauce. You’ll have to pry your guests away from the table.

DIY piñata

Everyone loves a piñata, but they’re pretty expensive to buy at party supply stores. I suggest making mini piñatas you can hang from tree branches. Take a dozen paper cups, fill them with a few goodies each, and wrap them in colorful streamers. This also makes for very festive party décor. If you have a lot of kids present, fill them with a traditional assortment of candy. If you’re hosting an adult party, gift cards in small amounts are fun, too.

Pops of color

Cinco is one of the brightest and most colorful days of the year! It’s easy to add splashes of color around your house with a few crafty solutions. I’m a big fan of paper banners which can easily be made with crepe paper that you cut triangles or polka dots into using a hole punch. Crepe paper flowers are also easy to assemble by folding them accordion style, stapling the folded paper in the middle, rounding off the ends with scissors and fanning them out. You can also find assorted colored poms by the bag in the craft aisle, which are fun to throw around your space.

Turn your home or patio into a symphony of festive colors, lights and flavors this Cinco de Mayo, without spending much at all. Your friends and family will have a blast mixing and mingling in good company. Ole!