St. Louis has quite a few locally owned restaurants and bars that will be jumping this Cinco de Mayo. Whether you’re looking to celebrate with tacos from a fourth generation cookbook, salsa dance the night away or choose from a mind boggling selection of beer, we’ve got you covered. No matter where you party this May 5, raise a glass to Jose’ Ruiz, who introduced this German town to his grandmother’s Mexican recipes back in 1966.

Cinco de Mayo on Cherokee Street
Contact: 3407 S. Jefferson
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 632-6498
cincodemayostl.com

Date: Sat, May 5th, 2012
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The Cherokee Street Cinco de Mayo festival kicks off with the city’s 4th annual People’s Joy Parade complete with floats, Gigante puppeteers, dancers, Mexican wrestlers and more. The parade route starts at the cross streets of Minnesota and Cherokee at 11 a.m. Afterward, catch some great live music at the Musica Fantastica portion of the festival. Linger around the main stage at California and Cherokee to listen to authentic Latin tunes or post up at the Gringo Stage on Nebraska. Beginning at noon with Rodante Show de La Sierra and wrapping up from 8 to 9:30 p.m. with Grupo Navegante, there are plenty of great shows to catch in between. In between music and floats, be sure to stop by the many vendor booths that will line the streets to take in some art and food.

Ruiz Mexican Restaurant
901 North Highway 67
Florissant, MO 63031
(314) 838-3500
www.dineruiz.com

Hours: Mon to Sat – 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Ruiz family would like to help you celebrate Cinco de Mayo at their place, the oldest Mexican restaurant in St. Louis. Jose Ruiz started serving tamales and frijoles back in 1966, before St. Louisians really knew what Mexican fare was all about. Now the restaurant has become a staple for lovers of authentic Mexican cuisine in a homey atmosphere. In fact, it’s not uncommon for servers and bartenders to know frequent guests by name. Drive over to North County to have a great margarita or icy beer while playing some Latin hits on the juke box. Follow the restaurant on Twitter to get updates on spur of the moment drink specials.

Related: Top Bar Food In St. Louis

Club Viva
408 North Euclid Ave.
St Louis, MO 63108
(314) 361-0322
www.clubvivastl.com

Hours: Tues to Sat — 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Learn to Salsa this Cinco at Club Viva in the Central West End. This over 21 basement bar has a bit of dingy feel to it, but that won’t matter once the music starts pumping. The staff here are friendly, the mojitos are made with fresh ingredients, and the Saturday night Salsa lessons are complimentary. Lessons are from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m and you don’t even need a partner to learn to dance. In fact, you just might meet a new partner this May at your next lesson.

Chava’s Mexican Restaurant
925 Geyer Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314) 241-5503
www.chavasmexican.com

Hours: Mon to Thurs – 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri to Sat – 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sun – 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Located in the former spot of the famous blues club, Mike & Min’s, Chava’s Mexican Restaurant in historic Soulard has been around since it first opened its doors in 2006 for Mardi Gras, so you know the owners are well versed in the art of throwing a good party. This year, try Chava’s out for size on Cinco de Mayo to celebrate in a casual atmosphere with tasty drinks. The restaurant has won awards for its frozen Mango Margarita. Flavored margaritas – frozen or on the rocks – normally run $7.25 for a 16 ounce drink, but you can snag one for two bucks off during happy hour, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Margaritas come plain or hand blended with real fruit, like strawberry, cherry, raspberry, blueberry, pineapple or mango.

Related: Best Margarita in St. Louis

Espinos Mexican Bar & Grill
17409 Chesterfield Airport Road
Chesterfield, MO 63005
(636) 519-0044
www.espinosmexicanbargrill.com

Hours: Mon to Thur – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri – 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., Sat – 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., Sun – 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

It doesn’t get any more authentic than a building designed to emanate the vibe of a Mexican village. Espinos Mexican Bar & Grill owners, husband and wife team Roseann and Artemio Espino, designed the building in which their restaurant stands. For flavorful chimichangas and entire flights of tequila, check out Espinos in Chesterfield Valley for Cinco de Mayo. This family operated Mexican restaurant prides itself on fresh food, Spanish wines and homemade sangria. Check out Mama’s Frozen Mango Margarita, a Mexican Cosmopolitan, or sample a flight of three delightful tequilas from a menu with dozens of choices.

International Tap House
161 Long Road
Chesterfield, MO 63005
(636) 537-8787
www.internationaltaphouse.com

Hours: Mon to Thurs — 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., Fri – 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., Sat – 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., Sun – 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.

If you’re more about the beer than the burritos this Cinco de Mayo, head over to iTap, otherwise known as the International Tap House. The bar has two locations, in Chesterfield and Soulard, so this is a great option for both those looking to celebrate in the heart of the city or a bit west among some great options for live music. The Tap House has over 480 different bottled beers from 25 different countries, Mexico included. And draft? What about 40 different beers on tap? The Tap House frequently hosts live musical guests, so it’s likely partiers will catch a performance. Ole!

Denise Bertacchi is a freelance reporter who grew up in the outskirts of St. Louis and attended Grandview High School. Shes ridden a horse in the St. Patricks Day Parade, stood under Big Foot, took a paddle wheeler up the Mississippi River and a bike down the Katy Trail. Shes written for newspapers, Missouri Life and Boys Life magazines. She currently resides in Fenton where she chases after her children with a camera in search of interesting blog material. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.