Cinco de Mayo Ideas

Miniature bright-colored donkey piñatas from Oriental Trading party supplies were suspended from clear balloons in the Silver Corridor, which lead guests into the Grand Ballroom for the main event.

Design team Monroe Alechman and Brian Avon created the theme and carried out the design of the event. Each dinner table featured a "fiestaware" pitcher filled with crepe paper chayo's flowers in bold colors.  Alternating bright linens were provided by Cloth Connections, and, in addition to soft pink lighting, projections of the night's theme decorated the ballroom.

The evening's menu, which was suspended like an umbrella on a swivel stick, featured dishes like grilled shrimp with cucumber-wrapped quinoa salad and blood orange emulsion and a manjari chocolate mousse sombrero for dessert. Mike's Hard Lemonade's Mikes Classic Margarita was the signature drink of the event.

Three-dimensional pink decor and stars guided guests into the ballroom for the main event.

An ensemble of four dancers and 10 mariachi members from Mariachi Tapati de Alvaro Paulino performed during the cocktail hour and on stage as guests made their way into the ballroom for dinner and the program. The group's music and ensemble were specific to the state of Jalisco in Mexico.

The organizers even gave the raffle displays a festive look. The "Hottest Pink Raffle" included a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and a uniform soft satchel in sapphire from Coach. Other items up for grabs included an Annabelle New York fur vest, a David Yurman bracelet and earring set, a mid-20th century bronze table from Lee Calicchio, and a six-night vacation in Italy from JK Hotels & Elite Travel International.

Sawbridge Studios, a Chicago shop specializing in handcrafted home furnishings and accessories, provided celadon pottery for dinnerware.

On May 3, two days before Cinco de Mayo, Don Julio turned New York's Studio 450 into a modern-day Mexican courtyard for the second local “Casa de Don Julio” event. The late-night bash was designed to promote the tequila brand's "La Primavera" contest, which will award 10 consumers the chance to visit its original distillery in Mexico. As an added activity, attendees could sign authentic Don Julio barrels with permanent markers.

"One of my favorite cocktails is the Greyhound, which is very simple and refreshing and made with vodka and grapefruit juice," said Martyna Krowicka, chef de cuisine of Restaurant Latour at Crystal Spring Resort in Sussex County, New Jersey. "Being a beer cocktail lover, I took it a few steps further adding elderflower cordial and vodka distilled from sugar beets (what Polish girl doesn't like that?) and topped it with a grapefruit wheat beer.” Krowicka's Elderhound contains Schofferhofer Grapefruit wheat beer, Orange County Distillery sugar beet vodka, elderflower cordial, orange liquor, Angostura bitters, and grapefruit zest.

At Dos Equis' "Coveted Collection Estate Auction Tour" event, which took place earlier this month at 632 on Hudson in New York, the beer company mixed up its brews into cocktails, including the "Dos Sidra" with Dos Equis lager, Strongbow Hard Cider, and raspberry liqueur; the "Dos-A-Stormy" with Dos Equis Ambar beer, rum, ginger ale, ginger beer, and blue agave nectar; and the "Dos-Arita" with Dos Equis lager, tequila, triple sec, and sour mix.

Israeli restaurant Timna, located in Manhattan’s East Village, offers an exotic twist on the classic Mexican cerveza cocktail with Stiegl Goldbräu lager, house-made harissa, preserved lemon, and smoked paprika salt on the rim.

Timna also serves the Avenue A Express with house-made IPA simple syrup, coriander-infused Cocchi Americano (an aperitif wine), lime, and muddled juniper berries, which provide a gin-like essence to the drink.

At Blatt Beer & Table's recently opened Preston Hollow Village location in Dallas, diners can sip on a traditional Bloody Mary amped up with Guinness.

For a boozy dessert, Syndicated, a restaurant, bar, and independent movie theater in Bushwick, Brooklyn, serves the Beer Float, which blends Keegan Mother’s Milk Stout with chocolate ice cream and caramel sauce, and is topped with whipped cream.

Guests arrived at 11:30 a.m. and mingled over drinks and passed appetizers until around noon. Then, they were seated for lunch.

A mariachi duo serenaded the crowd with traditional Mexican tunes.

Since the event was held in a raw office space, planner Audrey Lakin used the bright decor to add warmth.

Tables were decked with mini piñatas and tequila bottles holding colorful paper flowers.

Beyond Events provided catering. As guests ate, a sponsor spoke before the keynote speakers took the stage. The discussion, which started at noon, wrapped at 1 p.m.