Cinco de Mayo festivities will be in full force around the world Thursday.
- Cinco de Mayo celebrations planned for downtown Orlando
- Church Street will be closed from noon until 3 a.m. Friday
- Law enforcement is beefing up patrols today
In Central Florida, businesses throughout downtown Orlando will also take part in the day’s celebration.
In preparation for the day’s festivities, many roads will be shut down in the area.
Church Street, between Orange Avenue and Garland Avenue, will shut down at noon and will remain closed until 3 a.m. Friday. Drivers are urged to plan an alternate route for their evening commute.
Local law enforcement is asking people to stay alert and watch out for drunk drivers. They want everyone to have fun, but also to stay safe. The Orlando Police Department will be beefing up patrols throughout the day.
“Especially on days like this Cinco de Mayo, we always have extra officers out and many of the bars have events downtown,” said Chief John Mina. “But we hire officers in an extra duty capacity.”
Downtown Orlando won’t be the only place for Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Businesses in other cities and counties throughout Central Florida will be participating.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office plans to have several DUI checkpoints set up throughout the county.