Fiesta Fixings

Move to the beat of mariachi music this week as Cinco de Mayo fiestas flourish countywide. The holiday commemorates the defeat of French troops by a Mexican army in Puebla, Mexico, on May 5, 1862.

OXNARD

* Organizers expect up to 100,000 people to help celebrate the city’s sixth annual gathering from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Plaza Park and surrounding blocks.

“We’re growing every year. It’s a major festival and to accommodate everything, we’ve enlarged the festival area and added a second stage,” said Robert Sanchez, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event.

On the independence stage, TV and radio stations will broadcast continuous live entertainment from Mexico, Texas and California.

The cultural stage will present local performers: mariachi singer Delia Gonzalez, Ballet Folklorico Regional of Oxnard, Ballet Folklorico Infantil Azteca of Santa Paula and the band Nuestro. Other attractions include a children’s carnival with games and rides, and about 80 food and crafts booths.

All entertainment is free. For information, call 486-0266.

MOORPARK

* The city will kick off its celebration with a youth dance Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is $3 with school ID.

* On Saturday, starting at noon, pony rides, pinatas, crafts, a puppet theater and the Teresa Cortes Folklorico Dancers will offer family fun. Admission is free; individual events are 25 or 50 cents.

* Dinner, at $8 for adults and $7 for children, will be served between 4 and 7 p.m., followed by a dance at $15 per couple, $10 singles. Senorita Cinco de Mayo will be crowned at the dance.

All events are at the Moorpark Civic Center, 799 Moorpark Ave. For information, call 529-6864; for tickets, call 529-4101.

SANTA PAULA

* Casa del Mexicano will hold a fiesta Saturday and Sunday from noon into the evening with folklorico dancers, bands, speeches, food booths and activities for children.

Saturday will conclude with a dance. Banda de Guerra, an army-style band with trumpets and drummers, will perform Sunday afternoon. The street in front of the community center, 218 S. 11th St., will be closed to traffic and decorated for the occasion. Call 659-5464 for information.

COLLEGES

On Tuesday, all three community colleges will sponsor Cinco de Mayo entertainment.

* Moorpark College: A barbecue lunch will be served in the quad area from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; mariachi music will play, and children and adults can join in breaking pinatas.

* Oxnard College: Festivities in the outdoor amphitheater will include campus folklorico dancers, guest speakers, a play and food booths. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

* At Ventura College: Grupo Folklorico Tepeyac, mariachi and jazz bands, and a harpist and guitarist will entertain between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the outdoor stage. A barbecue lunch will be served.

LIBRARIES

* Two east county libraries will hold the Cinco de Mayo finale. On May 7, Violeta Quintero, an internationally known entertainer, and Ballet Folklorico Regional will perform from 4 to 5 p.m. at Newbury Park Library and again from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Thousand Oaks Library. Admission is free.