A car show, mariachi music and an art exhibit are among the free events open to the public at the 23rd annual La Raza Cultural Days celebration at the University of California, Davis, to be held Sunday through Friday, April 26 to May 1. Expected to attract around 7,000 people, La Raza Cultural Days features programs and events designed to foster awareness and understanding of the history and culture of Chicanos, Mexicanos and Latinos in the United States and in the Americas. The theme of this year's celebration is "Educacion es La Fuerza: La Tierra Mestiza Sin Fronteras" ("Strength Through Education: Our World Without Boundaries"). Major events include: • Fifth annual 5K and 10K Cuauhtemoc Run/Walk. 9 a.m., Sunday, April 26, beginning at the Putah Creek Lodge and proceeding on the UC Davis campus • Tardeada (afternoon family picnic). Featured will be vendors of traditional food and arts and crafts, plus Mexican folkloric dancing, and live music by Mariachi Los Arrieros, Grupo SONICAL, Juchari Pirecua Peruvian/Andean Flutes, and California Breezin'. Noon to 7 p.m., Sunday, April 26, at Putah Creek Lodge • Second annual car show, sponsored by Chicano Pride Productions, expected to draw 75 customized and classic vehicles. Noon to 7 p.m., Sunday, April 26, Putah Creek Lodge grounds • Chicano/Latino poster exhibit, displaying works by students of Malaquias Montoya, a UC Davis professor of Chicano Studies. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, April 27, to Friday, May 1, in MU II • La Raza Youth Conference, exploring the theme "Higher Education and Self-Esteem." 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 29, in MU II • Daylong symposium on "Building the Chicano/Latino Community for the 21st Century," sponsored by the UC Davis Chicano Studies program. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, April 30, in MU II • Conference for transfer students, co-sponsored by the UC Davis undergraduate admissions office. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, May 1, in MU II • Presentation on the significance of Cinco de Mayo, featuring a performance by the campus's folkloric dance troupe, Danzantes del Alma. Noon, Friday, May 1, on the Quad -more- 2-2-2 La Raza Cultural Days • Free dance, with music provided by Conjunto Cespedes, a Cuban salsa band from the Bay Area. Starting at dusk, Friday, May 1, on the steps of Mrak Hall For more information, call the cultural days information office at (916) 752-4936.