Fiesta Forecast: Hot Time in Town

It won’t be summer. It won’t be May 5, either.

But a hot time is forecast Sunday for a Cinco de Mayo celebration along the historic Broadway corridor in downtown Los Angeles.

Summer-like temperatures in the 90s are expected to lure as many as 600,000 people onto roped-off streets in the 36-block area between noon and 6 p.m.

“It’s going to be caluroso --that’s Spanish for hot,” said meteorologist Steve Burback of WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times. “It’s going to be hot and steamy, just like southern Mexico.”

Temperatures in the low to mid-90s could make the afternoon the hottest of the year so far for the Civic Center area. Similar readings are expected for the valleys, although slightly cooler temperatures in the 80s are in sight for the coast.

The downtown temperature today is expected to reach about 92, Burback said. “It appears Sunday will be the warmest. It will gradually cool next week.”

The third annual L.A. Fiesta Broadway, billed as “the country’s largest Cinco de Mayo celebration,” was shaping up to be just as caluroso , its organizers said Friday.

Cinco de Mayo means May 5th in Spanish. That is the date in 1862 when a small band of poorly armed Mexicans defeated thousands of French troops in the battle of Puebla.

“Sixty-five of the world’s hottest Latin artists will be here,” said fiesta producer Mario Proenza. “The music is going to be so hot that even the streets will be dancing.”

International Latin Billboard stars scheduled to perform on seven stages scattered between Temple Street and Olympic Boulevard include Los Diablos from Mexico, Willy Chirino from Cuba, Lula and Afro Brasil from Brazil, Yari More from Colombia, Los Reos from Uruguay, Los Costenos from Honduras and Alvaro Torres from El Salvador.

City officials said several downtown streets will be closed to traffic from 9 p.m. today until 5 a.m. Monday while stages, game booths, rides and food stands are put up.

Broadway and Spring Street will be closed between Temple and 11th streets. Hill Street will be blocked off from 6th to 11th streets. All east-west streets from Temple to 11th Street will be closed between Main and Olive streets.

Many of those shopping and working along Broadway late Friday said they intended to return for the festivities, despite the huge downtown traffic jam also predicted for Sunday.

“I’ll be back. I have a boy and a girl who are 16 and 17 and they enjoy the music,” said Raul Altamirano, an attorney from Glendale who works in a state office building on Broadway.

Louie Cervantes, a 22-year-old restaurant cashier from Fullerton, was licking a strawberry ice cream cone as he walked along Broadway in jeans and a tank top. He said he also was coming back.

“Last year was great. I liked the bands and the food,” Cervantes said. “And I like hot weather. The hotter the better.”

Shopkeeper Aureilo Gonzalez said he expects to do little business at his small retail electronics and camera store on Sunday. But he said he was looking forward to the fiesta nonetheless.

“I’ll sell a lot of films and batteries, but no TVs or big things. But that’s OK. More people will come to Broadway and get to know the street. They’ll see there are a lot of police here and that they can come and enjoy themselves without being afraid of muggers or drug dealers.”

Organizers of the fiesta say that’s part of the idea of the huge street fair. KMEX-TV Channel 34 is the producer of the event; it’s being co-sponsored by the city of Los Angeles and Miracle on Broadway, a civic improvement group.

L.A. Fiesta Broadway Detours Several downtown streets will be closed to vehicle traffic from 9 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. Monday for the Fiesta Broadway. Also, Broadway between 1st Street and Temple Street will be closed all day today. RTD lines will detour around the Fiesta Broadway site from 9 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. Monday. For more information, call (213) 626-4455, (818) 781-5890 or (714) 620-1871.