It’s a vibrant celebration of Mexican culture and the Battle of Puebla that draws thousands to North Texas each year.

In Dallas, parents and children have long shared the tradition of marching in Oak Cliff’s Cinco de Mayo parade along Jefferson Boulevard.

“I have parents coming up to me and say I was in the parade 30 years ago, and now my kid’s in the parade! It’s a tradition,” said Sylvana Alonzo, event coordinator and founder of Oak Cliff Arts.

On Monday, Alonzo said organizers made the decision to cancel the upcoming parade, which had been scheduled for Sunday, May 3, 2026.

“It’s the economy, period,” she said. “I’ve spoken to several businesses on Jefferson, they are feeling it, and they’re feeling it, and it’s the climate and the economy, period.”

Alonzo said the organizing committee was unable to secure a title sponsor to cover the parade’s $60,000 price tag.

“The parade is very expensive,” she said.

She also cited the lack of financial support from the city of Dallas for the second year in a row.

“We used to get thousands in in-kind support, which means blocking the streets, and that’s pricing, and that’s like $20,000 right there. So they can no longer because of the economy. They can no longer provide that in-kind sponsorship,” she said.

The Dallas Convention and Event Services and Office of Special Events said that in 2024, parade planners requested in-kind services from the city for meter hooding, barricades, bicycle barricades, road closure signs and inlet protectors. All requests were denied except for barricades.

In 2025, city departments that traditionally provide in-kind support had their overtime budgets significantly reduced, according to CES-OSE.

The city held a meeting with organizations that had requested in-kind support in the past, alerting them that the city’s resources would likely not be available in 2025 and urging event planners to prepare their budgets to cover all event costs.

While no in-kind service requests have been made so far this year, CES-OSE said that out of 600 events permitted in past years, only 12 have requested city in-kind services.

The city said requirements for organizers to obtain a special event permit focus on public safety and environmental protection.

According to CES-OSE, the Cinco de Mayo parade in 2025 considered shortening its route and fundraising options. However, the route was not shortened that year.

As of Monday, CES-OSE had not received an application for the 2026 Cinco de Mayo parade.

Alonzo said fundraising efforts left organizers “in the red” after last year’s event, making it more difficult to plan this year’s parade.

Still, she said the celebration will continue in another form.

“We are not having a parade, but we are celebrating with a block party,” she said. “200 businesses on this mile that we’re asking for them to be partners to support us actively… by celebrating at the in front of their storefront.”

Alonzo said her group will work with area merchants to gather support for a block party and expects to share more details soon.