Big Cinco de Mayo festival in Philadelphia called off over ICE fears
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Photo courtesy of R. Kennedy for GPTMC/Visit Philadelphia
South Philadelphia's annual Cinco de Mayo festival is canceled again this year due to concerns over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement.
Why it matters: El Carnaval de Puebla is Philly's biggest Mexican celebration, drawing roughly 15,000 revelers.
The big picture: Surging immigration enforcement, combined with a climate of fear, has caused festival organizers in D.C., Chicago, and other big cities to cancel or scale back over the past year.
State of play: El Carnaval de Puebla organizers tell Billy Penn they won't hold the April event out of caution, citing concerns the large gathering could become a target for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- The festival, which began in 2006, has featured a parade along Washington Avenue of hundreds of people in bearded masks, ornate headdresses, caps and fake rifles.
What they're saying: "The people are being cautious … we don't want to have one incident where people are being detained," event committee member Olga Renteria told the outlet.
- Organizers did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Worth noting: The carnival marks the Mexican victory over French occupiers in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla, commonly celebrated as Cinco de Mayo.
Flashback: The festival has operated in fits and starts over the past decade.
- The festival was nixed in 2017 over immigration concerns during Trump's first term, along with last year when he took office again.
- And the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to halt the celebration in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Zoom out: ICE arrests have soared since Trump took office last year, Axios' Brittany Gibson writes.
- Plus: ICE stepped up arrests of people without criminal charges or convictions last year across the U.S., including Pennsylvania, and raids during 2025 in Philly rattled immigrant communities.
What we're watching: Whether other festivals celebrating the city's immigrant communities will also be canceled.