ST. LOUIS — St. Louis' big Cinco de Mayo festival on Cherokee Street will happen Saturday. The annual event brings tens of thousands to south St. Louis. New this year, there will be big changes designed to keep you safe.
Two shootings surrounding last year's event find police partnering with event organizers to make sure the beg festival is safe. A bigger police presence isn't the only change you can expect.
It's one of the staples that shapes St. Louis.
"We usually get around 30,000 to 40,000 people here on one day. Kinda, almost the capacity of Busch Stadium comes to Cherokee Street for Cinco de Mayo,” Emily Thenhaus of the Cherokee Street Foundation said.
It’s a celebration of Mexican culture bringing out people of all backgrounds for a family-friendly party on Cherokee Street.
"We fill the streets with music, arts, and culture,” Thenhaus said.
It gives local businesses a boost.
"We do a lot of liquor (and) food. I mean it's all about liquor and food for real,” Edgardo Nunez of Sueno Latino Restaurant said.
He's preparing for the crowds.
“It gets crazy busy … We want people to come enjoy here, see how fun it gets," Nunez said.
Although, he can’t help but recall a memory that he wishes wasn’t real.
"I hope this year is kind of different you know."
Last year, an evening shooting put a damper on the otherwise safe celebration. A big fight broke out at Cherokee and Ohio, when someone started waving a gun. Two people were hurt. The night before the festival, a shooting on Cherokee killed two people and injured two others.
"We've changed up a little bit of the footprint,” Thenhaus said.
Organizers say new this year, there will be a hard perimeter surrounding the festival zone. You can only get in at one of four entrances.
"Coming from the west at Nebraska, at Jefferson or the north and south at Iowa. Those are the entrances that will be accepting attendees and the rest will be closed to pedestrian traffic,” she said.
On top of that, all bags will be searched.
“We’re upping our enforcement so leave your weapons, your speakers and your booze at home, and come and join us on this fun day," she said.
Nunez said a bunch of businesses in the area met with event organizers about the changes they want to see this year and he's excited to see a plan in place.
The festival goes from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday.