Yorkville welcomes in summer with Margaritas en Mayo celebration

Yorkville’s summer kickoff event, Margaritas en Mayo, drew people out to enjoy a festive evening at Riverfront Park in the city’s downtown on Thursday, May 23.

The event is hosted by the Yorkville Parks & Recreation Department.

The park was filled with fun for the whole family, including music, dancing, food, drinks, games and a zip-line feature.

The event is hosted by the Yorkville Parks & Recreation Department.

Early in the evening, Yorkville students performed Mexican song and dance routines on the Riverfront Park Pavilion, presented by the Bilingual Parents Advisory Council. After the performances, BPAC hosted their Parents Day Picnic in the park.

Throughout the event, children were able to participate in activities like piñatas, gallitos (balloon pop competitions), sack races and perhaps the most popular attraction, the 50-foot zip-line.

Montgomery residents Veronica Gutierrez and her daughter Emma were enjoying ice cream from Foxy’s. Emma said the dances and the ice cream were her favorite parts of the event.

Southbank Original Barbecue had a mariachi band performing in its outdoor patio from 6 to 8 p.m.

Southbank and other downtown restaurants, like Ginger and Soul, had margarita specials during the evening. Foxy’s Ice Cream was serving a churro-flavored ice cream special, and Crazy Fries had its food truck serving customers throughout the event.

Several other downtown restaurants and businesses also were participating in the event, featuring special menu items and sales.

Oswego residents David Cuevas and his son Jack said they had a great time at the festivities. Jack’s favorite part was riding on the zip-line while David said he was partial to the margaritas and the mariachi band.

Another big hit was the traditional dance performances by Ballet Folklorico of Chicago, who took the pavilion stage from 6 to 7 p.m. The troupe showcased several performances by various age groups.