By Bailey Coyle, FOX23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — A downtown block in Tulsa is set to transform into a colorful, high-energy celebration as Elote Cafe & Catering hosts its 17th annual Cinco de Mayo Street Festival.
The free event takes over Boston Avenue between 5th Street and 6th Street on Tuesday, May 5. The festival offers everything from street food and margaritas to lucha libre wrestling, and even tacos falling from the sky.
Owner Libby Billings said Elote is more than just a Mexican restaurant.
“It’s a very fun, playful, fresh mix. We have a lot of events and live activities,” said Billings. “We serve puffy tacos and margaritas and just try to create a good time.”
That spirit has grown over nearly two decades. The restaurant turns 18 next week and what started as a small indoor celebration has expanded into a full-scale outdoor festival.
“Our first year, it was indoors,” Billings said. “Now, we really go all out.”
One of the biggest draws each year is the lucha libre wrestling — colorful, theatrical matches featuring masked wrestlers battling “good vs evil.”
“It’s very theatrical, very fun, very playful,” said Billings.
The wrestling tradition actually helped shape the entire event.
“We started with it just as a theme, and next thing you know, we’re wrestling,” Billings said. “Now, 17 years later, it’s a big part of the community.”
Matches run from 5 p.m. to around 10:30 or 11 p.m.
Of course, food is front and center with tacos, elote, margaritas, and cerveza available throughout the night. One of the most talked-about moments comes at 8 p.m. — the parachute taco drop.
“We throw puffy tacos wrapped with a parachute,” Billings said. “You can catch them from the sky.”
It’s just one example of how the festival leans into the unexpected.
“We’re just doing whatever to have a good time around here,” Billings said.
The festival also offers plenty of fun for families. Kids can design their own lucha masks and compete in the Corn Cob Derby, a creative twist of the classic pinewood derby using corn cobs on wheels.
“They get to decorate it with pipe cleaners, stickers and gems, then race,” Billings said. “Even the trophies have little corn on top.”
The derby runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with winners announced at 7:15 p.m.
Beyond the spectacle, Billings said the goal is simple: give people a chance to relax and enjoy themselves.
“The world is full of a lot of crazy stuff right now,” Billings said. “It’s nice to just get a break, hang out with your friends and family, and just be entertained.”
The event is free to attend; something Billings said was intentional.
“It’s hard to find things these days that everyone can enjoy,” she said. “This can be good for families or just people wanting to come grab a margarita.”
Billings said whether you come for the food, the wrestling, or just the atmosphere; the goal is the same.
“It’s a colorful evening in downtown Tulsa. That’s sure to bring a smile to your face,” Billings said.
For her, the payoff is simple. Even on the busiest day of the year.
“How can you be stressed out when you’re watching a panda bear wrestle a superhero?” Billings said.
For more information on Elote, click here.
