LA GRANDE — The weekend brings two distinct and festive events to La Grande —“The Big” Little Comic Fest on Saturday, May 4 and a Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 5.

Leading off the weekend on Saturday, May 4 (“May the Fourth be with You”) is “The Big” Little Comic Fest. Starting at 9 a.m. and running until noon at Max Square Park in La Grande, this event, hosted by mNemosyne Studio’s Rikki Jo Hickey, is for young cosplayers, comic enthusiasts, anime devotees, and arts and crafters throughout the area.

There with be a cosplay (costume play) contest with the complete rules on the website at HolisticActing.com. The contest is free for ages 18 and under.

Highlighting the gathering will be Nerd Mentality, a local La Grande nonprofit seeking to inspire youth “in all things of the Nerd Mentality” — role-play games (RPG), table-top games, video games, live-action role play (LARP), and more, as well as Anime ID, Idaho’s new annual anime convention organizers, who will be available to answer questions about all things anime.

Bug Cosplay, a local cosplayer and artist, will be on hand as well and Comix Inc., a group of young artists known for their short comics, will have blank comic page templates for exploring designs and stories.

For more information, visit HolisticActing.com.

The family fun continues May 5 with Raul’s Taqueria hosting a Cinco de Mayo Block Party, coordinated by McLaughlin Events and Marketing. The party starts at noon and runs to 9 p.m. Elm Street will be closed from Adams Avenue to Washington Avenue starting at 9 a.m.

Cinco de Mayo is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, celebrating the symbolic victory of the Mexican army over a far larger French force in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla. In the United States, however, Cinco de Mayo has evolved over the years into a celebration of the rich Mexican culture and heritage.

The La Grande event features food, drinks and live music by Redemption, an eclectic country and southern rock group hailing from Eastern Oregon. A bilingual DJ will offer up tunes and Mariachi Jalisciense de Pasco, adding to the musical ambiance throughout the day. There will even be a pinata and a mechanical bull.

Also, nearly 20 “pop up” vendors will be on site.

For more information, visit McLaughlin Events and Marketing on Instagram or follow them on Facebook for event updates.