Special Announcement: The Center for World Music's concert series is drawing to a close on Friday, May 19th with the Strings and Bamboo: The Essence of Chinese Music program featuring virtuoso erhu performer Chi Li. Participant Observer readers will get a $5 discount with the code: "WVP". Check it out!

It's Cinco de Mayo!

Today (Friday), the Gaslamp Cinco De Mayo will take place. Nerd Comedy Cinco De Mayo at the Sunshine Brooks Theatre in Oceanside will feature comic Rene Garcia. The charming film Coco will screen at the Hyatt, and later in the day, the biographical film Selena will be screened there. Mariachi El Bronx will perform at the Belly Up. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month will be honored at the Thumbprint Gallery with a month-long Group Exhibition featuring the works of more than 25 AAPI artists. There will be a Carnatic Vocal Concert at the Seaside Center for Spiritual Living in Encinitas. The Tiburtina Ensemble will perform at St. James by the Sea. The multicultural FoodieLand Night Market will take place today, Saturday and Sunday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Saturday, at the Logan Heights Library, there will be a Celebration of Japanese Culture event. Tlingit glass sculptor Preston Singletary will talk about the evolution of Native glass making, his own artwork, and the techniques he employs. At the New Americans Museum, Una Storia Segreta (A Secret History) will be screened. The documentary is about the injustices suffered by Italian Americans during World War II. Following the film, there will be a panel discussion. Convoy Nights will celebrate API Heritage. The Little Italy Film series returns with a screening of Pane, Amore e Fantasia. The film will be shown at the Firehouse Theater, but it appears that after the weather warms up, they will be showing films outdoors in Amici Park. Latin band Ozomatli will perform at UCSD. City Ballet will perform Romeo & Juliet at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. There will be a second performance the day after (Sunday). The film Memoria, starring Tilda Swinton, will screen at the Digital Gym with a repeat screening on Sunday.

Sunday, the Balboa Park International Cottages will host their annual Ethnic Food Fair. At the San Diego Craft Collective in Liberty Station, there will be a Japanese Kintsugi Worshop. The Wailers will perform at the Magnolia in El Cajon. The group Kokoko! from the Democratic Republic of Congo will perform at The Loft in UCSD.

Monday, at the International Cottages in Balboa Park, there will be a dramatic reading of the play The Land of Swollen Faces.

Tuesday, at the Hall of Nations in Balboa Park, the San Diego World Affairs Council will host Ibrahim Al-Marashi who will present a talk on Iraq's Future, 20 Years after the 2003. At the Mission Valley Library, there will be a book talk on Appreciating Shakespeare. At USD's Shiley Theatre, there will be a Night of Mariachi featuring the school's Mariachi ensemble.

Wednesday, Mujeres Divinas: A Celebration of Latin Women, Food, Music & Wine will take place at Bread & Salt in Barrio Logan.

Next Thursday, the 4-day Gator by the Bay Festival will begin. At UCSD's Price Center, Ukrainian novelist Andrei Kurkov will give a talk on War and Literature in Today's Ukraine. At the Mingei, architect Jorge Gracia will deliver a talk on Territory - Scale - Landscape. The Grossmont College Middle East Ensemble will perform at the UU Church in Mission Hills. USD's music department will hold A Night of Balinese Gamelan Music.

Next Friday, at UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas, a 2-day Hong Kong On Screen Film Festival will take place. There will be a Binational Library Conference at the Central Library. At the Oceanside Museum of Art, there will be an Italian Artists and their Need for Speed Workshop. A Sitar and Tabla Concert will take place at the Iranian American Center. The film Axiom will screen for the German Currents Kino series at the Digital Gym. There will be repeat screenings on both the 14th and 17th of this month. Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona will perform at the Pechanga Arena. The acclaimed Sergio Mendez will perform at the Belly Up.

Next Saturday, the 16th Annual Alliance Dragon Boat Festival will take place in Mission Bay. The House of Poland will hold their annual Lawn Program at the International Cottages. At the Mission Valley Library, there will be a Dia de los Niños Kids Concert & Festivities for the young ones. Encanto will be shown atop the Hyatt downtown. For Tomorrow – the Documentary will be shown at the Digital Gym and there will be a repeat screening the following day (Sunday). The classic film Casablanca will be shown at the Hyatt. There will be an art exhibition featuring the works of Pablo Castañeda and the exhibit will continue until late July. At the Seaside Center for Spiritual Living, there will be a Carnatic Vocal Performance by Vasudha Ravi. At Corazon del Barrio, there will be a Chalino Art Show & Music Event in homage to the Mexican singer-songwriter. And at UCSD's Conrad Prebys Concert Hall, there will be a Persian Music Concert.

Next Sunday, the San Diego American Indian Health Center (SDAIHC) will host the 35th annual Balboa Park Pow Wow. Also at the Park, the House of Norway will host their annual Lawn Program. At Queen Bee's Art and Cultural Center, there will be a Salsa Concert with Aico Simon. And atop the Manchester Hyatt, everyone's mind-bending flick Everything Everywhere All At Once will screen.

Exotic Deadly, or the MSG Play at the Old Globe White Theatre is the only cross-cultural theater production currently happening in San Diego.

Please note that after two weeks in the main calendar section, ongoing events (such as exhibitions and plays) can be found in Ongoing and Extended Events.

And if you are an avid and adventuresome reader, visit our www.multiculturalbooks.org site to browse our compendious collection.