A jaunt to Cancun may be out of the question and weekend celebrations from Queens to Cali have sadly been canceled due to swine flu fears, but there's gotta be somewhere left to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, right? Worry not, my amigos. There are still a few great places to put on your ridiculously large sombreros, down a few buckets of Coronas and celebrate Mexican culture…er, we'll leave it at down a few buckets of Coronas.

In New York City, far-West Side club Hudson Terrace opens its giant new rooftop space just in time to throw a Cinco de Mayo party at one of the city's most impressive outdoor drinking spots. If only the weather clears up in time to shake maracas without an umbrella.

For a slightly more grown-up Cinco de Mayo, Chicago's Nacional 27 is hosting a swanky Tuesday night affair, where $27 gets you free food and all the margaritas you can stomach, which is hopefully more than $27-worth.

Down in the homeland, in Puebla, Mexico where the whole shindig started, it's being reported that while the gringos have fled town, remaining Mexican tourists aren't holding back and the partying is going on as planned. We'll raise our glasses and toast an "Ole" to that!

Related Stories:
· Hudson Terrace to Open Next Tuesday. Cinco de Mayo on the Roof! [NY Barfly]
· Cinco de Mayo Party [Nacional 27]
· Little swine flu concern in Cinco de Mayo city [NBC Around the World]
· This Has Gone Too Far: Swine Flu Hysteria Screwing Up Cinco de Mayo Celebrations [Jaunted]

[Photo: Springsun] ]]> BS 2009-05-04T13:01:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/2/144026/7857

Health officials are telling everybody not to panic, but it's too late to save one of the most cherished drinking holidays on the calendar. Yes, swine flu hysteria has claimed Cinco de Mayo, causing the cancellation of countless booze-soaked celebrations across Mexico and the U.S. In New York, for example, the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was canceled out of "prudence," while plans for similar gatherings in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Dallas, and Chicago were also shelved. Even the aptly-named town of Corona, California called off its Cinco celebration after a local high school student was suspected of having swine flu. And as far as actual Mexico is concerned, nearly all public gatherings have been canceled for the time being, but I'm sure the bars will still be humming. Just remember to pull your face mask down before you take a sip of your drink. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-05-02T14:40:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/5/105820/3950

¡Oye, Cinco de Mayo! We're already three micheladas deep, but we thought you'd wanna know why everyone's pounding Mexican beer today. The fifth of May is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, an epic fight between the Mexican army and the French expeditionary forces of Napoleon. The Mexicans, led by Ignacio Zaragoza, won, which is why it's a day worth remembering.

Interestingly, the Poblanos were French sympathizers, which led to an nominative bitch slap when the city's name was officially changed to Heróica Puebla de Zaragoza after the battle.

These days, Puebla is an important cultural capital, in south-central Mexico. Its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city's home to some of the country's most famous dishes like mole poblano and chalupas. Also worth a try is the cemita, a huge sandwich served on a sesame roll that's sort of like a Mexican muffaletta. Trust us: It'll go down easy with a ton of frosty beer.

Related Stories:
· Mexico Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· World Heritage Sites coverage [Jaunted]
· Google Maps/Where Is... coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-05-05T11:01:23-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/