Here's How To Host The Ultimate Cinco De Mayo Fiesta

Cinco de Mayo is the best excuse for the brightest, happiest, and sunniest of celebrations. Although this day isn't really celebrated in Mexico, this holiday is extremely important in America: On this one day a year, all Americans take the time to honor and celebrate Mexican culture and traditions. Hang up that piñata, chill those margaritas, and smash up some guacamole: It's time to host the ultimate Cinco de Mayo fiesta.

Hosting a Cinco de Mayo party is the best opportunity to cover your home or garden in bright, multicolored decorations. Use the red, white, and green colors of the Mexican flag as a base, and add in other fiery colors such as bright orange and yellow, to make your party as beautiful as it will be tasty.

For more Cinco de Mayo party ideas, click here.

If you don't serve guacamole at your fiesta, you will definitely not be hosting the ultimate Cinco de Mayo party. Make your favorite classic version, or try one of these creative guacamole creations. Make sure you have bowls filled with guacamole available throughout your party, with plenty of tortilla chips alongside for dipping.

For the Simple Guacamole recipe, click here.

If you're hosting an evening party, end your meal not with coffee or peppermint tea, but with a comforting glass of iced, cinnamon-spiced horchata. This sweet, rice milk-based drink is refreshing and soothing, which is exactly what you need to relax after a big meal on a summer's day.

For the Cinnamon Horchata recipe, click here.

Save yourself the stress of serving up individual portions of quesadillas, tacos, and tortillas at your party by serving the main part of the meal family-style. Warm up plenty of corn tortillas and place them on the table alongside slow-cooked meats, fried fish, sour cream, grated cheese, chopped chiles, and grilled corn, so that your guests can build their own tacos and tostadas.

For the Tasty Taco recipes, click here.

It wouldn't be a real Mexican party without a piñata. This party game is fun for kids and adults, and adds a focus to the fiesta besides endless food and drinks. Either buy one, or attempt to make your own.

For instructions on making your own piñata, click here.

Who said margaritas could only come in liquid form? Serve these zingy margarita cupcakes at the end of your meal so that even dessert is in keeping with the Mexican theme.

For the Margarita Cupcakes recipe, click here.

Make sure all of your guests come to your party with their dancing shoes on. The ultimate Cinco de Mayo fiesta needs to be held with ever-popular, truly Mexican, mariachi music playing in the background.

These bite-size pieces of chocolate fudge are the perfect sweet treat to serve after devouring all those tasty tacos. Made with cinnamon and cayenne pepper, this sweet fudge has a wonderfully spicy aftertaste.

For the Mexican Chocolate Fudge recipe, click here.

Make up a batch of virgin mojitos for all your non-drinking guests. This simple, alcohol-free cocktail makes the perfect refreshing, citrusy, and bubbly soft drink.

For the Virgin Mojito recipe, click here.

Alongside the DIY tacos, make sure there's plenty of exciting sides. There are so many fantastic Mexican dishes that you don't want to miss out on. Bowls filled with black beans topped with queso fresco, poblano corn salsa, and a pinto bean salad will all add the perfect amount of flavor and color variation to your side-dish selection.

For the Poblano Corn Salsa recipe, click here.

As much as we do love guacamole, and we would be happy if this was the only food served at the Cinco de Mayo party, for the ultimate fiesta, you'll need to make a few salsas to be served with those tortilla chips, too, on top of those tacos. If you don't have time to make your own, use a good store-bought tomato salsa, but recipes such as this roasted green salsa, or a charred corn and avocado salsa are super simple.

For the Charred Corn and Avocado Salsa recipe, click here.

Set up a margarita bar so that your guests can help themselves to drinks, rather than forcing you to play bartender the whole time. Mix up a few pitchers of margaritas, leave out an extra bottle of tequila, and set out plenty of margarita glasses, rimming salt and sugar, a bowl full of lime wedges, and plenty of ice.

For the Añejo Signature Margarita recipe, click here.