One of Denver’s longest running cultural events, the Cinco de Mayo Festival and Parade, is returning this weekend.

The annual event is back for its 36th year, and will be taking place at Civic Center Park from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, according to a news release from the NEWSED Community Development Corporation, the organization hosting the event.

After a parade through downtown, people will gather at the park to start the festival Saturday morning.

The event will feature dance groups, mariachi bands, food vendors and a $15 VIP bar experience, with tastings of tequila and other spirits, according to Austin Tafoya, Special Events Manager for NEWSED.

Additionally, the event will have Chihuahua races at noon on Saturday, a taco eating contest at 2 p.m., Sunday and lowrider car shows both days, Tafoya said. This year’s sponsor for the Chihuahua race is the frozen Mexican food brand El Monterey, which will be awarding the top three winners with dog race uniforms and a year’s supply of frozen burritos to the owners.

“The Latino community is one of the fastest-growing communities out there,” Tafoya said. “It’s very important in what times are currently and in the future to just stick together and celebrate culture, remember who we are and embrace it.”

Roads will be closed around the park through the weekend, including Bannock Street, 14th Avenue, Colfax Avenue and Broadway Street, Tafoya said.

Additionally, there will be lane restrictions on Federal Boulevard between West Mississippi Avenue and 6th Avenue to ensure the safety of the festivalgoers as well as the ability for emergency personnel to get into neighborhoods if needed, according to a YouTube video uploaded by the Denver Police Department Thursday.

To learn more about the festival and register for any of the events, take a look at the organization’s website: https://cincodemayodenver.com/.