May 5th at Las Palmas
This year, Las Palmas is giving Rome both options with a high-energy celebration at Riverside, located at 311 Riverside Pkwy, and a family-friendly fiesta at Shorter, located at 246 Shorter Ave.
V3 sat down with Las Palmas Marketing Director Glenn Bowman to talk about this year’s plans.
V3: Glenn, Las Palmas has built a real Cinco tradition over the years. What does 2026 look like?
GB: This year, we’re not trying to make one location be everything to everybody. We’re giving people two completely different lanes. Riverside is the big party — the tent, the DJ, the dancing robot, the lights, the crowd, the whole thing. We want people to pull in and know right away that something is happening. That’s going on Saturday, May 2 and Tuesday, May 5.
If your crew is more into family, food, and fun, Shorter is where you want to be. That one is built to feel festive, colorful, and easy for families to actually enjoy together. We’ll also have Coolade the Clown there from 5PM to 9PM on Cinco de Mayo, so it’s a completely different kind of energy. After 5PM, the first 100 kids under 12 will also get a goody bag, which just adds another fun piece to the family side of the night.
V3: So you’re really hitting two different crowds this year?
GB: Exactly. Riverside is for the people who want the big-night atmosphere. Shorter is for families who want to celebrate Cinco in a way that still feels special without turning into a late-night party scene. Same holiday, two completely different experiences.
V3: What’s the goal with this two-location approach?
GB: We wanted people to feel like Las Palmas has a version of Cinco that actually fits them. Some people want the music, the lights, the big crowd, and that full party feel. Other people want something more relaxed that still feels festive and worth getting out for. Instead of trying to force one location to be everything, we leaned into what each one does best.
V3: Events like this take a lot more than promotion. What goes into making them work?
GB: A lot of planning, a lot of moving parts, and a lot of extra effort behind the scenes. People see the fun part, but what makes it work is having each location set up for the kind of experience we’re promising. That means staffing, logistics, timing, setup, all of it. None of that happens without a strong team, and they deserve a lot of credit for that. We’ve got a lot of people behind the scenes putting real work into making sure the night feels smooth, energetic, and worth showing up for.
V3: What do you want people to know before Cinco gets here?
GB: Just know this — if you want the big party, Riverside is where that energy is going to be. If you want the family-friendly version, Shorter is the move. Either way, we’re putting a lot into both locations this year, and we want people to feel that the second they get there. This isn’t something we’re halfway doing. We want it to feel like an experience.
V3: Whether you want the big-night energy of Riverside or the family-friendly celebration at Shorter, Las Palmas is giving Rome two very different ways to do Cinco this year. One way or another, it sounds like people should make their plans early.
