Pasco Cinco De Mayo has struggled, but here’s what’s in store for the 2023 festival

After a mismanaged event last year, the annual Cinco de Mayo Festival is returning May 5-6 for a special scaled-down celebration of Mexican heritage.

As in years past, the festivities will feature family-friendly music, food and art but it will be smaller and return to the event’s roots, organizers say.

The free event kicks off the evening of Friday, May 5, with cultural performances and celebration at Peanuts Park and the Farmers Market in downtown Pasco.

At 11 a.m. Saturday morning, dozens of floats will circle Volunteer Park and hand out candy during the annual Cinco de Mayo Parade.

A festival will follow at Peanuts Park, where 51 vendors have signed up to provide food, games, crafts and local artisan goods.

“It’s family fun,” said Jerry Martinez, the departing executive director the Downtown Pasco Development Authority (DPDA). “Cinco de Mayo started as a way to celebrate the diverse culture of our community, and we really want to put that on the spotlight.”

Misspending and mismanagement of last year’s week-long extravaganza resulted in a financial loss of about $83,000 for the downtown association.

Spending unintentionally ballooned to more than $225,000, according to an internal report.

The controversy came at a time when DPDA’s role in downtown revitalization was being questioned by city officials and council members, and as the city planned to pay a consultant $50,000 to review its organizational structure.

The association’s board approved a slim $41,000 budget to guide spending for the 2023 Cinco de Mayo event.

Although there were informal discussions last year, the DPDA board did not OK a final budget like it did this year.

Revenue brought in through pre-existing business sponsorships will directly cover this year’s costs.

The association expects to make about $1,000 in profit, possibly more, through vendor fees.

New procedures also require board members to sign off on expenditures of $5,000 or more. The board is also making it a larger priority to document vendor contracts and receipts, as well as organize events in a timelier manner to regain the public’s trust.

“This is how it should be done, and how it needed to be done every year,” said board member Edison Valerio, who heads this year’s planning committee. “Transparency. The board needs to see exactly where the dollars come from and where they’re at so that there’s no surprises at the end.”

Valerio said this year’s celebrations are going to be “fantastic” and “vibrant,” with lots of food and music.

Instead of spending thousands for non-local professional musicians, the group is bringing in local talent with a $5,000 budget.

Most entertainment will be done by music clubs and programs based in Pasco schools. And the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation also will bring in their drummers and dancers.

“A majority of the entertainment budget that you all just approved is actually going to go toward a donation to the Pasco School District so we can continue to support their music and arts programs, so they can continue performing at Cinco de Mayo, and really just centering around community there,” Martinez told the DPDA board.

Cinco de Mayo events

• Friday, May 5: 6-8 p.m. — Noche Cultural at Peanuts Park. An evening of celebration and performances from a variety of cultures that call the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas home.

• Saturday, May 6: 11 a.m.-noon — Cinco de Mayo Parade, starting at City Hall and rounding Volunteer Park. An event highlighting local businesses, groups and leaders who make Pasco a great community. Candy will be handed out and parking along main streets will be limited.

• Saturday, May 6: noon-6 p.m. — Cinco de Mayo Festival at Peanuts Park. Foods, crafts, entertainment, boxing and other family fun events at Pasco’s marquee event.

Cinco de Mayo organizers are also still looking for volunteers to help with events. The DPDA can be reached at 509-380-5111.

No events are planned for Sunday.

Changing downtown association

The association is entering a period of large transition.

After a challenging year on the job, Martinez announced plans last week to step down as executive director.

The group has lost at least four executive directors since 2016.

Martinez told the Herald at the April 20 meeting that he still hasn’t decided what’s next for him, although he voiced appreciation for his time serving as head of the organization.

Martinez said he feels he’s leaving the DPDA on better footing than when he came into the role.

“I definitely feel like we’ve moved forward,” he told the Tri-City Herald. “I’m excited for the progress we’ve made. For me, it’s been about doing what’s right for the community and I think we’ll continue to do what’s right for the community.”

His last day is June 1. The board plans to start a search soon for his successor.

During his tenure, Martinez and his board lobbied successfully for an increase in city allocation.

In a split vote last December, the Pasco City Council voted in favor of funding the organization $120,000 for 2023 with the opportunity, per council discretion, to pay $60,000 more at the start of both the third and fourth quarters.

From January to March, the DPDA’s quarterly net revenue increased from $1,700 to $30,827.

“I think there’s some perspective that Jerry was coming in as a savior for the DPDA. That’s not my perspective,” said Mayor Pro Tem Craig Maloney, who sat in on the April 20 meeting. “My perspective is the organization itself needed to mature, and I think we’ve really seen that... They’re being much more intentional about what their roles are and how they perform their work.”

Maloney said they should continue to fund the association later this year, especially as the consultant work to examine the organization’s structure wraps up. It’s possible the group’s work could be divied up between two or three organizations so that it can focus on its broader authority over downtown development and business incubation.

“Obviously, a PDA should not be focused on events. They should be focused on the clear, core mission, which is the physical elements of downtown,” Maloney said.

“Neither the DPDA, nor the city, nor the port — none of those organizations can actually make downtown vibrant. All we do is set the stage. So what I really want to see, and what I’m waiting for, is an explosion of private interest in the vacant buildings, in existing buildings, existing businesses,” Maloney added.