MEXICO COMES TO PORTLAND FOR A PARTY

Two Sister Cities, Portland and Guadalajara, come together for one big bash for the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta and extravaganza from May 2 through May 5. The celebration takes place in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, right along the Willamette River in downtown Portland.

Oregon's largest minority population by far is Hispanic, so the Fiesta is one of the largest and most fun you're going to find anywhere in the U.S. There's great Mexican cuisine in Portland, at the Fiesta and dozens and dozens of restaurants throughout the city.

Also during the Fiesta, there's fireworks, pinata breaking and entertainment from Ballet Folklorico, Mariachis, Marilyn Fernandez, Los Malandrines, Los Angeles Azules, and Vilma Diaz. I know many of you, like me, aren't familiar with the singers and musicians, but that's a great part of the fun -- being exposed to the music of another culture.

The crowds make parking difficult and expensive, but it's very easy to get from The Fulton House to downtown on public transportation. You can hop on a bus just a half-block away and be there in about 5 minutes.

We're already partly booked during celebration days, but we still have 2 rooms open for 2 days. So reserve now if you want to join in the fun. See ya'.

For further information on Portland's Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, visit www.cincodemayo.org