Cinco de Mayo Festival

Historic Valley Junction Foundation presents our 19th Annual Festival Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, May 3, 2025 from Noon to 10:00 pm. Visitors are invited to enjoy Mexican foods, artwork, live music, dancing, and family activities.

Celebrating the Mexican heritage of many railroad workers during the establishment years of Valley Junction, this festival is an opportunity to recognize the Mexican community who helped James Jordan’s vision of bringing the railroad to the Des Moines area become a reality. In honor of our strong heritage, there will be a proclamation by Mayor Russ Trimble and announcement of our Cinco de Mayo King and Queen.

• 12:00pm: Vendors, food trucks, beverage garden, kid’s zone open
• 12:00pm-late: Cinco de Mayo Heritage Gallery at The Raaz (201 5th)
• 12:30pm: Jovenes Embajadores (Mexican folklore dancers)
• 1:00pm-3:00pm: Guitarras ATM (Mariachi from Des Moines)
• 3:30pm: King & Queen Ceremony honoring Elders Frances Gallardo & John Munoz
• 4:00pm: Danza Folklorica del Oeste (Mexican folklore dancers)
• 5:00pm-7:00pm: Dietz Soliz Band (Latin/R&B/Rock from the Quad Cities)
• 8:00pm-10:00pm: Selekto Show (Cumbia/Bachata/Salsa/Merengue/Rock from Kansas City)

The Queen

The Loving Life of Frances M. (Valdez) Gallardo

In 1919, Manuel Valdez and Guadalupe Zapien were married in La Piedad, Michoacán, Mexico. Both decided to move to the United States of America where they settled down in Valley Junction, Iowa. Frances Mary Valdez was born October 4, 1936, in Valley Junction, Iowa to Manuel and Lupe Valdez. She was the youngest of thirteen children. Growing up, Frances attending Phenix Elementary and Valley High School. In high school, Frances was very active in sports much like her brother’s Manuel, John, and Jesse. She loved basketball, volleyball, and track. In 1956 she married John Gallardo and started a family. She gave birth to 5 beautiful children, Lisa, Raymond, Felicia, Jesse, and John. Through the years, Frances was blessed with 11 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Her husband John Gallardo worked at Firestone for many years but always wanted to go into business for himself. In 1975 John opened a tavern on 5^th Street in Valley Junction called, “The Valley Junction Tap.” Frances was instrumental in helping start this new venture. She was always there to help with whatever needed to be done. After being opened for several years, a bar up the street became available. So, John and Frances bought “La Bamba.” The bars were eventually sold, and a new chapter was opened, “Gallardo’s Taco Villa.” Both John and Frances dove into the restaurant business. Gallardo’s Taco Villa offered homemade authentic Mexican food from recipes handed down from her mother and sister Esperanza Valdez. Her homemade enchiladas were, and still are, legendary!! If you know, you know. The restaurant opened in 1985 and closed in 1995. The restaurant never fully recovered from the flood of 1993.

Frances lives a humble life devoted to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his Blessed Mother Mary. She has a deep love for the Divine Mercy chaplet and has gifted pictures of the Divine Mercy to many. She is a very loving and caring person who prays for not only family but friends and people she doesn’t even know but sees the pain and suffering they are going through. Frances is now the last of the 13 siblings and is considered by some in the family as The Matriarch of the Valdez family. Frances loves music and dancing and visiting with her family and friends. She still resides in Valley Junction.

John Francis Munoz

Born August 22, 1930, in Valley Junction, Iowa

John’s father and mother, Donaciano Munoz and Maria Barcena Munoz came to the United States from Zacatecas and Aguascalientes, Mexico in 1917. John was born in a mining camp near 63rd and Park Avenue on August 22, 1930, and settled in Valley Junction where he worked at the Marquette Cement Plant. John had six brothers and three sisters. He lived on 9th Street in Valley Junction and later moved during the Depression to Maple Street.

When he was 16, John enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in September of 1946 and was stationed in San Diego. In 1948, he served with the Inactive Ready Reserves. In 1950, John was recalled to active duty at Camp Pendleton and sent to Korea aboard the USNS Aiken. After one night docked in Kobe, Japan the Marines disembarked in Pusan, Korea. From there, John took his “first flight” to Wonju, Korea. For the next 11 months John served as an infantryman fighting back and forth across the 38th Parallel. In February, 1952 he returned by ship to San Diego.

In 1953, John married Stella Salgado, and they lived in Valley Junction. John worked for the Marquette Cement Plant and then began his 36-year career as a Postal carrier. John had the largest route in what became West Des Moines back in the days when it was still a walking route. John retired in 1992, but not for long. After Stella passed away in 1997, he went on to work for another twenty years for the City of West Des Moines and retired at the age of 86.

John and Stella have two daughters who both live in West Des Moines. Margo is married to Michael O’Meara and Melissa, who is married to Stephen Breman (a member of the original Jordan family). They have two daughters, Kathleen and Caroline, as well as their sons-in-law Anthony and Spenser. John enjoys spending his time with his great-grandchildren, Harper and Barrett.

Thank you to our sponsors!