New local celebration scheduled in Big Sky
By Thad Beaty GUEST COLUMNIST
When you live in a place like Big Sky, you quickly come to appreciate that it truly takes a village to make this community thrive. It’s also a place where you’re always learning—something new, something unexpected—thanks to the nature of a destination that welcomes people from all over the world. On any given day, you might hear English, French, Spanish and countless other languages woven into the rhythm of daily life.
As a result, there are always fun conversations to have and people to learn from. A few weeks ago, during one of these conversations, one of our Spanish-speaking friends of Mexican heritage clued me in that Cinco de Mayo isn’t a Mexican holiday. What? Are you kidding me? I always thought it was about Mexican Independence Day, a national holiday celebrated across Mexico. But no, it’s something different altogether.
So, we sat down, and I asked a few more questions. This is what I learned.
In 1861, Mexico’s new president, Benito Juárez, took office amidst a financial crisis. The country couldn’t repay debt payments to several European nations. Britain and Spain negotiated and reached a resolution. But France’s Napoleon III saw an opportunity to expand his empire into Mexican territory. He sent 6,000 troops to Mexico, landing in Veracruz with plans to take control.
On May 5, 1862, French forces marched to invade Puebla, where they were met by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza and his small, ragtag militia, who took a stand and, after a day’s battle, killed over 500 French soldiers, suffered minimal losses of their own, and drove the mighty French into retreat. This battle became the symbolic victory that inspired the resistance movement. Finally, in 1867, after U.S. support and pressure, Napoleon had seen enough and France withdrew.
In 1862, the community of Columbia, California, hosted a celebration to mark the partnership between the U.S. and Mexico and its victory over France. Over time, communities across the U.S. began commemorating the occasion, and Cinco de Mayo evolved into a celebration of Mexican-American culture, heritage, and shared traditions. Today, it’s less about a single historical moment and more about honoring culture, connection and community.
That spirit feels especially relevant here in Big Sky. At its core, this celebration is about appreciation, for the people who make this place what it is and for the relationships that strengthen our community every day.
So it’s in the spirit of appreciation that the Big Sky community will gather at the Big Sky Center for the Arts on May 5 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. for our own Cinco de Mayo celebration to recognize our workforce with Mexican heritage. The evening will include a DJ with dance instruction, fresh carne asada, arepas, quesadillas, salsa, a piñata-making station with plenty of candy to stuff inside, and some village building.
The event is hosted by the Arts Council of Big Sky, Lone Mountain Land Company, Big Sky Rotary Club, Beehive Cleaning and Maintenance Services, and Rancho Picante Montana Bison. I hope you will join us for this wonderful community celebration.
Thad Beaty is a musician, composer, and the music and entertainment manager for Lone Mountain Land Company. He lives full time in Big Sky with his musician wife Annie, kids Noura and Hawk, and his mom Giga.
