¡Casi Tiempo de la Fiesta!

While we like to think to think of ourselves as the biggest and best event at Crown Center, we're not the only one. We're not even the only ethnic festival, believe it or not. The annual Fiesta Kansas City takes place May 13-15 this year and I will be there, hermano. I admit to being an ethnic festival junkie, but I love this particular event especially. Maybe it has something to do with my own Hispanic heritage. Maybe it's the food. Whatever it is, I think you should join me at the Fiesta, skeptical Irish person. And here's why:

1. Tortilla throwing contest! I hope this means filling them up with delicious frijoles and carne asada and throwing them down my burrito hole. But even if I'm wrong, you're still throwing food somehow. How can you lose? I'll answer that one. You can't.

2. Margarita Cove Cobh. (Thought the alt spelling might make you Paddies feel more at home.) Local Mexican restaurants make Margaritas. You sample them. Hilarity and possibly hallucinations ensue.

3. When it comes to ethnic festivals, the Mexicans are second only to the Irish in the kickassedness of their music. Also the Spanish word for dance, "baile" is also the Irish word for home. That's got to mean something.

4. It's a little known fact that the phrase "Cinco de Mayo" is a bastardization of "Sinking in Mayo" which was why all the ships had to relocate from Killala Harbour to Margarita Cobh.

5. A few years ago I bought a green t-shirt at the Fiesta that said "Mexican Princess" on it for $4. Four dollars! My son Tommy wears it on St. Patrick's Day every year. He's odd like that.

6. That big beautiful Celtic cross you see every year at Irish Fest? It was created by my friend Pedro Martín, in exchange for nothing but free beer. We're not so very different.

7. It's free! When was the last time you got something for free, other than when Tommy got my t-shirt?

8. Sombreros! Who doesn't look good in a sombrero?

9. They're having something called a "grito" or "Mexican cheer" contest. Might I suggest shouting "Irlanda es el mejor país en el mundo" real loud. The judges will love that, trust me.

10. You already know how to get to Crown Center, vato. Vayamos.