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Treasurer Maria Pappas Recognizes Cinco de Mayo with Celebration of Mexican Heritage Featuring Mariachi Music, Live Horses, and an Art Exhibit
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas marked Cinco de Mayo on May 5 with a public celebration honoring the deep cultural roots and lasting contributions of the Mexican diaspora in Chicagoland.
The event featured live music, an equestrian performance and a curated art exhibition highlighting one of the region’s most influential communities.
Festivities began at noon outside the Cook County Building, 118 N. Clark Street, with the equestrian performance featuring four Friesian horses from the Netherlands.
Known for their elegance, power and brilliant black coats, Friesians are often described as the “dramatic athletes” of the equestrian world.
The dancing Friesian equestrian presentation is made possible with support from Arnulfo Moya of Moya Produce Inc.
Following the outdoor program, guests will move inside to the Treasurer’s Office (Room 112) for food, a community gathering and live entertainment. The afternoon will feature a special mariachi performance led by Mario Contreras, bringing energetic traditional music designed to engage and encourage audience participation.
Cinco de Mayo, observed on May 5, commemorates Mexico’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The date has become a widely celebrated symbol of Mexican heritage and pride across the United States.
In Cook County and surrounding suburbs, the holiday holds particular meaning for the more than one million residents of Mexican descent. Across Chicagoland, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with parades, music, dance, cuisine and community gatherings that highlight the enduring contributions of Mexican Americans to the region’s social and economic fabric.
This year’s event also features a curated art installation inside the Treasurer’s Office, showcasing works by Óscar Javier Esquivel Romero, a Mexican-born, Chicago-based artist whose practice blends contemporary expression with deep cultural and philosophical roots. Romero’s work has been featured in museums around the world. It draws on ancient Aztec traditions and early Baroque influences, evolving into a symbolic, narrative-driven style celebrating Mexican identity.
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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