9 Fun Cinco de Mayo Party Ideas (2024)

Looking for fun and festive Cinco de Mayo party ideas? At Peerspace, we can’t blame you! While Cinco de Mayo has historic and cultural significance, it can also be a day to gather with loved ones and celebrate with tasty Mexican food and drinks.

And with the help of Peerspace, you not only get fun party ideas, but you can also book a one-of-a-kind party venue! As the largest online marketplace for venue rentals, our platform makes it easy for you to discover and book hidden gem spaces in cities across the globe. This includes plenty of spaces inspired by Mexico’s beautiful culture, some of which we’ll share with you ahead.

Host a fiesta and show appreciation for the Mexican culture with these Cinco de Mayo party ideas.

1. Party in an awesome celebration-ready venue courtesy of Peerspace

If you are worried about hosting a big, rowdy party in your home, then take your fiesta to a new space. Peerspace can help you book a party space to rent by the hour for your gathering that suits your style and amenity needs.

All spaces are hosted by locals who want to ensure you have a wonderful time in their spaces, so you can reach out to them with any requests or questions and they’ll be happy to oblige.

What types of spaces can you book on Peerspace for your Cinco de Mayo gathering? Here are a few of our favorite options:

• This rustic Mexican hacienda home in Brownsville, TX with authentic Mexican architecture and furnishings.
• This bright, award-winning Mexican cantina in Vancouver, BC with food, drinks, and an outdoor patio.
• This rustic taco stand Mexican restaurant in North Hollywood with seating, food, and space for 25 guests.
• This hilltop ranch house on the San Diego/Mexican border that overlooks Mexico.
• This eclectic mid-century modern-style home in Austin, TX that includes charming and rustic Mexican decor and plenty of room to fiesta.

These are just a few colorful examples of the types of spaces you can find near you on Peerspace. Enjoy the beautiful spring weather and book an outdoor garden, or keep everyone cool indoors in a cafe, creative studio, or multipurpose space.

Each Peerspace listing includes multiple photos, upfront pricing, detailed descriptions, and reviews from past renters so that you know what you’re getting before you even book. The platform is not only easy to use, but it’s also your passport to stunningly cool venues in cities across the globe. Take your Cinco de Mayo party ideas to the next level in an unforgettable Peerspace venue!

2. Set up a customizable taco bar with all the fixings

Cinco de Mayo celebration is not the same without tacos. Hire a local taqueria to cater your party, or find a food truck to do the honors. You can also search for one in your area with this directory or this one.

Or, if you want a casual taco station, buy trays of taco filling and have everyone build their own at a self-serve taco bar. Essential ingredients include tomatoes, shredded lettuce, a three-cheese blend, soft tortillas and taco shells, ground beef, chicken, sofrito sauce, a variety of spices, hot sauce, and guacamole. 

Be sure to ask about dietary restrictions, allergies, and preferences when you send out invitations, so that you don’t cross-contaminate with any ingredients that could cause an issue for any of your party guests.

If you rent this stylish taco restaurant in Ocean City, MD (pictured above) through Peerspace, then you can let them handle all the details. It boasts indoor and outdoor seating, a full catering menu for food and drinks, and even a ping-pong table for extra fun!

Maximize your tasty gathering by using our 11 awesome taco party ideas!

3. Serve festive drinks to get your guests in the mood to fiesta

For the most part, Americans treat this as a drinking holiday (much like St. Patrick’s Day), so we couldn’t write a list of Cinco de Mayo party ideas without including drinks.

While the typical margarita will get the job done, it’s always exciting to switch it up. Here are unique margarita recipes that will impress your guests.

If you have little ones at the party or anyone under the drinking age, they don’t have to miss out on the fruity drinks and fun. Make agua fresca for the kids with these refreshing recipes. You can also serve all of the drinks in colorful plastic margarita glasses, accompanied by festive cocktail napkins.

Also, if you aren’t sure about mixing drinks, then try hiring a bartender for the occasion. They’ll bring their knowledge of mixed drinks to have a tequila-based extravaganza. Request mezcal, a type of tequila, to get a tasty, smoky drink that will definitely wow any party-goer.

If you book a bar through Peerspace for your party setting, then you can work with the host and arrange to have their bartending staff on hand to whip up tasty professional drinks for you and your guests.

Check out our favorite cocktail party ideas for more on-theme party suggestions!

4. Turn up the music

Every party needs music, and on Cinco de Mayo, you’ll want to get extra festive. For this idea, you can hire traditional musicians like a mariachi band or create a playlist for your party.

You can find a band to hire on GigSalad or The Bash. Here is a list of songs to add to your playlist. Be sure you book a performance venue through Peerspace that has amazing acoustics and a sound system so that everyone gets a chance to enjoy the music!

For a venue that combines performance capabilities and a Mexican fiesta ambiance, check out this Mexican bar restaurant with a stage in Frazier Park, CA. Talk to the host about their favorite performers who can pull off some Mexican classics and then get ready to sing and dance the night away with your guests.

5. Dish out some Cinco de Mayo-worthy desserts

No party can end without sweets being served! Offer Mexican desserts like churros, flan, rice pudding, and tres leches cake, or try a spin on these traditional sweets and make churro cupcakes or cheesecake flan brownies. 

You can also make margarita-inspired lime desserts, Mexican chocolate brownies with cayenne for a little kick, and dessert tacos or nachos. For a list of creative (but easy-to-make) treats for the occasion, check out this blog. 

6. Put up decorations to make your venue as festive as possible

Decorate your party space with bright colors, pinatas, sombreros, llamas, tacos, and cacti. The colors of the Mexican flag are red, white, and green, but the Cinco de Mayo color palette also often includes teal, yellow, and purple.

Create your own tissue paper flowers, or buy some for an inexpensive decoration. If you have a local Mexican supermarket, you can also find decorations there, and just about every party store carries supplies designed for Cinco de Mayo.

You can also save yourself a lot of time and energy and book a Peerspace venue that’s already super festive. One of our favorite examples is this vibrant Mexican restaurant with a patio in Los Angeles, CA. It is colorful and fun indoors and out. And since it’s a fully operational restaurant, you can talk to the host about catering your Cinco de Mayo party! With Peerspace venues like this, you can get all your party needs taken care of in one spot.

Our 13 creative Cinco de Mayo decoration ideas offer even more fun and colorful suggestions!

7. Will the kids be attending? Then help them get crafty!

If kids are invited to your party, it’s a good idea to have activities. After all, most children don’t find eating, drinking, and chatting all that fun. Keep them entertained with craft stations where they can make their own Cinco de Mayo-inspired decorations and more.

Some ideas include creating your own papel picado (the colorful tissue paper flags). For this craft, you will need: tissue paper, scissors, tape, and string if you would like to hang the flags. Another idea involves buying tissue paper in teal, green, yellow, red, and purple. Print out design templates on regular printer paper and secure it to your folded tissue paper to guide you as you cut out the design. For a full tutorial and a link to a template, check out this video.

Or, make your own maracas. The beautiful painted maracas are a trademark of Mexican music, so why not jam out with your own handmade ones? For the maracas, you will need plastic Easter eggs; plastic spoons; dry rice; masking tape; a hot glue gun or glue sticks; craft paints in colors like green, white, red, orange, and yellow; glitter; small plastic plates and cups for paint and water; paint brushes; and anything else that you would like to decorate the maracas with, like plastic gems or pom-poms.

8. Play Cinco de Mayo-inspired games

No matter how old you get, party games will always be a good time. The holiday might not have many traditional games associated with it, but you can still have some festive fun! There are plenty of Cinco de Mayo party ideas for all ages. For any kids at your fiesta, here are some fun and educational games that they can play.

For the adults, try a chili pepper-eating contest (be sure to keep plenty of milk on hand for those who can’t handle the heat), a game of Mexican history trivia (you can find questions simply by typing the phrase “Mexican history trivia” into Google), or Mexican Train.

9. Add a secondary theme for a Cinco de Mayo mashup fiesta

Maybe you want to throw the ultimate Cinco de Mayo party annually? If so, we admire your fortitude! Party planning isn’t always easy, and with a holiday like Cinco de Mayo, it can get uninspired fast.

That’s why introducing an unexpected annual theme can be a fantastic way to enliven your Cinco de Mayo party! You can go retro and have a “70s Cinco de Mayo” event. Or how about having a “Miami nights” theme with added Cuban inspiration? It can be a fun way to go big and thrill your guests will a cultural fusion.

Luckily, Peerspace can make hosting a Cinco de Mayo mashup party a breeze by introducing you to the perfect venue. For instance, our revelers in Los Angeles, CA can book this 1950s Cuban-style salsa club and cigar lounge in Hollywood. It’s a stunning 2,00-square-foot rum and cigar bar with an ambiance that will make you and your guests feel transported to pre-revolution Cuba.

Cinco de Mayo party ideas: conclusion

We hope these tips will help you turn your average Cinco de Mayo party into something to remember. It is definitely our opinion that first and foremost, you need the perfect party setting. Search Peerspace for perfectly festive event spaces near you that will provide the right ambiance and amenities to complement your event.

And if you need catering, entertainment, or other party essentials, remember to ask your venue’s local host. They are dedicated to helping you throw the perfect gathering and can help you in any way they can.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a fiesta filled with tacos, drinks, and vibrant colors with these unique Cinco de Mayo party ideas!

Find unique Cinco de Mayo party ideas on Peerspace