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Cinco de Mayo Celebrations To Be Held In Pasadena, Olvera Street

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Pasadena will hold its inaugural Cinco de Mayo Festival Saturday while a traditional Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place on Olvera Street on the 150th anniversary of the victory of a 4,500-man Mexican militia over a larger, well-equipped French expeditionary force at the original Battle of Puebla.

Pasadena's Cinco de Mayo Festival will be held at La Pintoresca Park and begin at 11 a.m. with a traditional ceremonial blessing. It will remain open until 5 p.m. and include live performances by mariachi, banda, folklore dances,
a wide range of vendors selling authentic Mexican food and other products and carnival-style games.

Admission is free.

The Cinco de Mayo celebration on Olvera Street will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and include mariachi, folklorico dancers, pinatas and other activities for children.

The Avoid the 100 Los Angeles County DUI Task Force will deploy driving under the influence saturation patrols throughout the county, while the California Highway Patrol will conduct saturation patrols on freeways and in unincorporated areas, Glendale Police Department Chief Ronald L. De Pompa said.

The Los Angeles Police Department will operate a sobriety checkpoint at Cahuenga Boulevard and Broadlawn Drive in North Hollywood from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday.
The LAPD is advising Cinco de Mayo partygoers to:
-- Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin;
-- Designate a sober driver;
-- Leave your car keys at home;
-- Call a taxi, a friend or family member or use public transit to
ensure you get home safely;
-- Call 911 if you see a drunken driver on a street or freeway;
-- Take the car keys away from someone who is about to drive impaired
and assist them in getting home safely. "In this day and age, there is no excuse for driving drunk," said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. "Before heading out for the celebration, just take one minute to designate your sober driver."

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