Osblado Rodriguez, with Federacion de Clubes Zacatecanos del Norte de California, performs during the 2nd Annual San Jose Cinco de Mayo Celebration Parade in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, May 4, 2025. The parade was along King Road from Alum Rock Avenue to Virginia Avenue. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Cinco de Mayo marks the anniversary of the 1862 victory by Mexican troops over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla. The triumph over the better equipped and more numerous French troops was an enormous emotional boost for the Mexican soldiers led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza.

• There’s also a celebration scheduled for downtown San Jose, but this one will not include a parade. There will be a free festival at Plaza de Cesar Chavez from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with food trucks, live music and dance performances.