Rockford's Cinco de Mayo Block Party Is Back — Tacos, Donkeys, and a Full Day of Chaos (The Good Kind)

SAVE THE DATE

📅Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 | 11 am – 8 pm

📍 Courtland Street between Monroe and Main, Rockford, MI 🎉 Free to attend

Every spring, we do something a little different here in Rockford — in the best possible way. We shut down an entire city block, fill it with tacos, live music, miniature donkeys, kids activities, and a whole lot of community love, and celebrate Cinco de Mayo the way it deserves: loudly, deliciously, and together.

The Cinco de Mayo Block Party has become one of the most anticipated events of the year in Rockford — drawing thousands of people from across the area throughout the day. This year is our fourth annual, and the lineup is the biggest we've put together yet.

A Little Origin Story (Because It's a Good One)

Back in 2023, Frank and Kaitlin — the husband-and-wife team behind F'n K Tacos — had a simple idea: block off a couple of parallel parking spots in front of the shop, bring in some entertainment, and give the community a reason to celebrate Cinco de Mayo together. Low-key. Nothing too crazy.

Then they started thinking about it more seriously. Courtland Street has a lot going on — Grill 111 and Marinades across the street, Cinco de Mayo restaurant down at the end of the block, steady foot traffic, and let's be honest: Rockford on a nice spring Friday afternoon isn't exactly a ghost town. After a few conversations with the city and the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, it became pretty clear that blocking off a couple parking spots and hoping for the best was a recipe for creative jaywalking and general chaos. The safer, smarter move? Just close the whole block and do it right.

And so, a block party was born.

Cinco de Mayo fell on a Friday that first year, and the early afternoon brought families and kids out to explore. But around 4 PM, something shifted — and the block filled up fast. By the time we hit the evening hours, the energy was electric.

The turnout was overwhelming in the best possible way. Kids running around. Parents actually relaxing in the sunshine on one of the first real nice days of the year. Everyone having so much fun that the hardest part was shutting it down at 8 PM to reopen the street. So yeah — we do this every year now.

Four Years In: The Block Party Through the Years

2023 — The First One

It kicked off on Friday, May 5, 2023. What started as a "parking lot" idea became a full block shutdown. Live music with Yuriana & Wity from Mexicuba Band, The Balloon Guy, The Tipsy Burro miniature donkeys, DJ Poppa Wheelie, and a packed lineup of local food and shopping vendors including Grill 111, The Toasted Pickle, Boochie Bar, Zen Botanicals' succulent bar, Fido & Stitch with their mini sombreros and more.

2024 — May the Fourth / Cinco Mashup

By year two, we learned that Saturday was preferred by more people, which meant that year it landed on Star Wars Day, so naturally we leaned in. Mariachi by Gabriel Estrada III ("El Charro Del Norte"), Ax Throwing with Battle GR, galactic ceramic painting with Accidental Art, Sunshine Face Painting, and a day-long Star Wars-themed Loteria scavenger hunt. We also learned a lot in year one and focused on streamlining our operations at the taco shop to speed up service. Grill 111 added a second bar. We doubled our business partners. The operational glow-up was real. And we were featured on 13 On Your Side!

2025 — The Community Edition

Year three brought the celebration fully into its own. We were ready(er). Thousands of people filled Courtland Street throughout the day for what had become one of the most anticipated community events in West Michigan. We added a live broadcast from La Poderosa Radio — the premier station for regional Mexican music and Hispanic culture — and Diva Productions DJ'd and brought a photobooth (free to the public). The whole day leaned into what this event is really about: Mexican culture, music, food, flavor, art, family, and community. The energy? Pure Michigan spring chaos. The weather? Perfect, as always (we're 3 for 3 and counting, fingers crossed!). Wood TV8 and Fox17 Morning Mix also covered the event, meaning all three major West Michigan news stations had now taken notice.

2026: What's New This Year

We keep pushing the question: what would make this even better? (And what can we actually pull off?) Here's where we landed.

🎪 A Dedicated Kids Activity Area

Thanks to Modern Woodmen for opening up their grass area along the block, we're building out a full kids zone with rotating activities all day long. No one activity dominates the whole day — things rotate in and out, which means there's always something new to discover. And you will always know where to go to find the donkeys, the balloons, the kid-favorites!

We will keep this updated with times as we get everything dialed in.

🎨 Art Takes Over Downtown

Rogue River Artists Association is hosting an art show at the Rotary Pavilion the same day, and we're intentionally building the flow of the event to connect both spaces. We want people walking around, exploring downtown, discovering what Rockford has to offer — not just standing on our block all day (though that's fine too).

🏪 The Whole Town Gets Festive

This has always been bigger than one block. We encourage every business in Rockford to lean in — put something outside, do a sidewalk sale, get festive. The intent has always been that this event lifts the entire community. When thousands of people come to Rockford, we want them to find a town that showed up for them.

The Things That Never Change

The food. You're not leaving hungry. At F'n K Tacos, we've spent years dialing in our high-volume taco game and the food is always the main event. Grill 111 is open inside as well as street-side with two bars and fun treats (while they last). Cinco de Mayo has also joined the fun and added an outdoor bar. Multiple vendors, multiple options, plenty for everyone.

The weather. Okay, this one we can't technically guarantee. But Michigan in early May is that magical moment when winter finally loosens its grip and everyone is desperate to be outside. We've had perfect weather three years running and the crowd energy reflects it — people arrive happy and stay happy.

The community. This is a free event. Most activities are free. That's not an accident — it's intentional. Local sponsors make it possible so that anyone can come, bring their family, and have an incredible day without spending a dime just to walk around. Local businesses, local sponsors, local love. That's the whole thing.

We'll see you on the block.

Mark Your Calendar

2026 Cinco de Mayo Block Party 📅 Saturday, May 2, 2026 ⏰ 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM 📍 Courtland Street between Monroe and Main, Rockford, MI 🎉 Free to attend

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for lineup announcements, sponsor reveals, and at least one video of a miniature donkey.

The F'n K Tacos Cinco de Mayo Block Party is held annually on the first Saturday in May on Courtland Street in downtown Rockford, Michigan. It is free to attend and open to all ages. Video Production by Visionaery Productions, Grand Rapids