Recapping Carlos O'Kelly's Cinco de Mayo Party in Dubuque

This year marked my third year in a row hosting the "99 Bottles of Corona" giveaway at Carlos O'Kelly's annual Cinco de Mayo party in Dubuque. For me, this event has taken on a special, even personal significance. Let me take you back for a moment.

I moved to Dubuque in February 2022, and Carlos O'Kelly's Cinco de Mayo party was the first event I did for Y105 in May that year. It was bigger than any live broadcast/event I did up until then, underscored by the fact that I was responsible for giving away 99 prizes. It was also the first time I was able to meet my listeners, so to speak. Getting out of the studio and into the public sphere is both exciting and enriching for a radio DJ.

Me and my girlfriend, Catherine, during my live broadcast at Carlos O'Kelly's. Photo Credit: Katie Kotz

During that first event, I was able to make my presence felt in a community in which I was still very new. Now, two years later, at my third Cinco de Mayo party, I was elated to see some people who have become friends, and listeners who have made it possible for me to do the job I love day-in and day-out.

The party kicked off at 1pm with the start of my live broadcast. With the help of my coworker and friend, Katie Kotz, and my girlfriend Catherine, we were able to get dozens of people who qualified to win a prize via the Y105 app/website checked in. For those who didn't sign up on the app, we gave them a chance to win a prize by signing up in the event we had some qualifiers who didn't show.

Photo Credit: Catherine Hewitt

At 3pm, the three of us put all of the qualifier names into a bucket, and at 3:30pm, I started drawing winners for the 99 prizes. Among them were Trace Adkins concert tickets, Pork Tornadoes tickets, a Yeti cooler, a Snoop Dogg bobblehead, and other various prizes!

Me calling all 99 names for the "99 Bottles of Corona" giveaway. Photo Credit: Catherine Hewitt

Thank you for once again making Carlos O'Kelly's Cinco de Mayo party and the "99 Bottles of Corona" giveaway a rousing success! It's because of you events like this are possible, and made all the more fun! It's such a privilege to be able to do the line of work that I do, and events like this one remind me why.

See photos from last year's Cinco de Mayo party at Carlos O'Kelly's here!