If you’re planning to attend Pasco’s annual Cinco de Mayo Festival this weekend, Ben Franklin Transit can help save you some frustration when it comes to finding parking. 

The transit agency will offer free shuttle service from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 2 from designated parking areas at BFT’s 22nd Avenue Transit Center, Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium and the Pasco School District’s administrative offices, according to a release. Shuttles will run every 20 minutes. 

The Cinco de Mayo festival starts at 10 a.m. at Volunteer Park with the annual parade.  

Gabriela Whitemarsh, a bilingual mathematics teacher at Pasco High School and Washington State Teacher of the Year, has been selected as the parade grand marshal. 

For Whitemarsh, the honor is especially meaningful. When the Pasco High School grad was a senior, she was selected as Cinco de Mayo Queen, recognized for her academic excellence, graduating near the top of her class with a 3.975 grade-point average, earning numerous honors and scholarships, and being named the top Hispanic Academic Achievers Program, or HAAP, scholar that year.  

Cinco de Mayo activities continue until 8 p.m. in downtown Pasco and at Peanuts Park. Festivities include mariachi, dance, bands, fashion show, food vendors, Selena competition and more. 

For schedule, go to: pasco-wa.gov/1521/Cinco-de-Mayo.