The holiday honors a 19th-century battle between the French and the Mexican armies that, strangely enough, may have influenced the outcome of the US Civil War.

While President Donald Trump put threatened tariffs on Mexican avocados on pause, the U.S. government plans to put a nearly 21% duty on fresh Mexican tomatoes starting July 14. A duty — like a tariff — is a tax on imports, and this one would impact the 4 billion pounds of tomatoes the U.S. imports from Mexico each year.

It was a sunny, warm day as thousands turned out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in St. Paul on Saturday. In addition to a parade on Saturday, the Cinco de Mayo Festival on Cesar Chavez Street in the West Side neighborhood included live music, dancing, a car show and more fun that began on Friday.