By Joel Stratte-McClure

The annual competition between tequila companies and Hollywood nightspots to
lure A-list celebs to their Cinco de Mayo parties heated up on Monday night.
And forget any entrance requirements like a Mexican heritage, ability to
speak Spanish, or even knowledge of the day¹s historical importance.

Hornitos Tequila transformed the Crown Bar, Hollywood's newest hotspot on
Santa Monica Boulevard, into a ³Garden of Agave" with Mexican-inspired food
and specialty cocktails that included the Crown Jewel and Ultimate Cinco
Margarita.

The refreshments, plus ever-hot DJ Samantha Ronson and her BFF Lindsay
Lohan, attracted a cowboy-hatted crowd that included Paris and Nicky Hilton,
Benji & Joel Madden (Nicole Richie stayed home with their daughter Harlow),
Lauren Conrad, Dave Annable, Brody Jenner and Simon Le Bon. Paris snuggled
with Benji Madden, Nicky stayed close to David Katzenberg, Conrad and Lohan
hit the dance floor, and Joel Madden worked the turntables when Ronson took
a bathroom break.


Meanwhile La Velvet Margarita Cantina claimed to have a social purpose for
their fourth annual Cinco de Mayo party attended by Vince Vaughn, Ken
Davitian, Dean Cain, Mary Carey, Jonathan Silverman, Jessica Collins,
Jennifer Finnigan and director Adam Rifkin. Proceeds from their celebrity
poker tournament, where Cain and Davitian had the hottest hands, went to the
Friends of El Faro charity.