A weekend for partying, judging stuffies and art. What to do in Newport County.

Are you ready for a party?

This weekend is filled with events that call for getting out and celebrating a little with friends and family.

Friday kicks things off with Cinco de Mayo and what could be better than a Friday night of heading out to a local restaurant to partake in some specials or old time Mexican favorites.

Follow Friday up with a Kentucky Derby party and watch the horses while sipping on a mint julep.

If you're still up for it after that, help determine the best stuffie in a taste test competition or take in an art show.

Whatever your fancy, take a look at these four Newport County events and one worth taking a drive.

Celebate Cinco de Mayo

The weekend kicks off with Cinco de Mayo falling on a Friday, which makes for the perfect time to enjoy tequila, tacos or anything else that meets your Mexican cravings.

Fortunately, there are plenty of Mexican restaurants on Aquidneck Island to enjoy and others will have specials or regular menu items that will help you celebrate the day when 2,000 Mexican soldiers defeated 6,000 French soldiers on May 5, 1862, in Puebla de Los Angeles.

Derby party

The Board of Directors of the Tiverton Library Foundation are hosting an “Evening at the Derby” spring fundraiser on Saturday from 5-8 p.m.

Tickets are $25 per person and include heavy appetizers and one drink ticket.  Guests are encouraged to wear derby hats and bow ties in accordance to the tradition at the actual Kentucky Derby. The evening will consist of games, raffles, a silent auction and cash bar — all for charity. All proceeds will benefit the Tiverton Library and help fund the new addition of an outdoor community learning area.

Tickets can be purchased online at EveningattheDerby.Eventbrite.com or at the door the day of the event.

Art exhibition

Portsmouth Abbey School presents the artwork of Rhode Island abstract artist William Grosvenor Congdon through an exhibition titled “A Life’s Journey: The Work of William Congdon” in the McEvoy Gallery of the McGuire Fine Arts Center. The exhibition will be open to the public Sundays, May 7 and 14, from noon to 3 p.m.

Congdon was born in Providence, attended St. Mark’s School in Massachusetts, and received a degree in English Literature from Yale University in 1934. In the years following, Congdon studied drawing, painting and sculpting under the likes of Henry Hensche and George Demetrios until 1942, when he joined the American Field Service as an ambulance driver, serving with the British Ninth and Eighth Armies in World War II. Congdon returned to the United States in 1948, where his work as an Abstract Expressionist quickly gained fame, ultimately leading to comparison with masters Jackson Pollock, Marc Rothko and Richard Pousette-Dart.

The exhibition will showcase some of the artist’s works from 1935 to 1996, with a majority representing a significant 25-year span of his career. The exhibition is comprised of various sculptures, drawings and paintings, including Guernica (ca 1940), Spring 1950 (1950), Piazza San Marco (1957), Rome No.4 (1958) and Annunciation (1960).

Stuffie Smackdown

Think you make the best stuffies?

The 3rd Annual Stuffie Smackdown returns to the Irish American Athletic Club, 642 Thames St, Newport on Sundays this May.

Competitors arrive on the day of competition with two dozen stuffies and customers attending will be able to participate in a blind taste test and cast their ballot.

The top two participants each Sunday will qualify for the Stuffie Smackdown Final on May 28 with the winner becoming the Stuffie Champion and winning a cash prize!

Stuffie Smackdown Competition Guidelines will be sent to each participant upon registration.

Visit irishamericanac.com for more information and to register.

Cello Fest

Cello fans this is the weekend for you.

The PVD Cello Fest will be help Friday and Saturday at locations across Providence.

The event starts at 7 p.m. Friday at The 134 Collaborative at Mathewson Street Church with a night of songwriters, poets, folk music and original cello music. Featuring Isabel Castellvi, Zan Berry, Kamyron Williams and Mr. Orange, Flannery Brown, and Adrienne Taylor.

Concerts continue throughout the day Saturday. All Cello Fest events are ticketed based on a pay-what-you-can model, with all donations going directly to support festival musicians.

To find more details about the schedule of upcoming events and participating artists visit pvdcellofest.com

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Things to do in Newport May 5-7: Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby