After more than a decade without a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Lyons, KS, director Abril Pando Rodriguez made it happen. In 2022, she began reaching out to members of the Chamber of Commerce with a vision to bring the celebration back. She was met with discouragement — told of the hardships of organizing such an event and given little guidance. She pushed forward anyway.

Two years of planning, organizing, and passion paid off. In 2024, Lyons held its first Cinco de Mayo celebration in over a decade at Workman Park, welcoming approximately 500 to 550 attendees from across the region — including visitors from Sterling, Little River, Lindsborg, McPherson, Wichita, Hutchinson, Dodge City, Garden City, Albuquerque NM, Chase, Hays, Kannapolis, Great Bend, and Bushton. 

The celebration featured the Lyons Folkloric dancers, choreographed by Abril, performing traditional Mexican dances. Guests enjoyed food from approximately ___ vendors, live music, a parade with approximately ___ participants, and a festive atmosphere honoring the rich culture and traditions of the Hispanic community in central Kansas.

Abril founded this event out of a deep desire to share Mexican culture with the Lyons community and to give her children — and all children in the area — a connection to their heritage. Despite the presence of a significant Hispanic population in the surrounding areas, Cinco de Mayo had gone uncelebrated in Lyons for far too long. The 2024 event changed that forever.