Top 5 north of the border Cinco de Mayo celebrations

May 5 commemorates Mexico’s unlikely victory over France in the 1862 Battle of Puebla. Of course, not unlike St. Patrick’s Day, many gringos use the day as an excuse to guzzle Coronas. For a more authentic Cinco de Mayo with no passport required, head to one of these events, listed in no particular order.

Related: Three perfect days in Mexico’s Riviera Maya

St. Paul’s Cinco celebration. (say that 10 times fast). Source: Rena Dehler/Wikipedia.

1. St. Paul, Minnesota: The Twin Cities may not scream “diversity,” but in fact St. Paul is home to one of the nation’s biggest Cinco de Mayo bashes. In addition to the parade and live entertainment, Cinco de Mayo West Side St. Paul features a 5k, beer garden, car show and jalapeño-eating contest. This year’s celebration is set for Saturday, May 7.

2. Phoenix, Arizona: One day just isn’t enough to contain this Southwestern street party, which takes place downtown on May 7 and 8. The Cinco de Mayo Phoenix Festival includes traditional food, drinks, music and dancing, of course. But there’s also lucha libre wrestling, a boxing tournament, scholarship giveaway and kids’ zone with rides and games.

3. Los Angeles, California: LA get the party started early with this April 24 bash. Taking place in the blocks around City Hall, Fiesta Broadway includes entertainment, carnival rides, a beer garden, marketplace and more.

National Cinco de Mayo Festival in Washington DC | Flickr CC: S Pakhrin

4. Washington, DC: The U.S. capital shows solidarity with our neighbors to the south during this May 1 celebration on the NationalMall. The official National Cinco de Mayo Festival features live music, dance contests, children’s activities and more.

5. Portland, Oregon: The Northwest brings you a taste of the South with performances by Mexico’s Mariachi de Ciudad Guadalajara and Portland’s own Ballet Folklórico Mexico en La Piel. The Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta also has carnival rides, an artisan village, lucha libre, amateur boxing and more. The festivities take place May 5 to 8 in downtown’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park.