Little Village getting ready for Mexican Independence Day parade and celebration

CBSNews , Darius Johnson
Updated ·2 min read
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CHICAGO (CBS)-- The Little Village neighborhood is gearing up for the annual Mexican Independence Day parade and celebration this weekend.

This year, for the first time, all of the fun is happening on the actual holiday. It's going to bring about 400,000 to Little Village, making it the biggest celebration in the Midwest.

This celebration is all about Mexico's independence from Spain.

Starting Saturday at 10 a.m. is the annual 5k run & walk starting at the corner of 26th and Kostner. The race ends at Manual Peres Jr. Plaza.

Then at noon, the parade kicks off from the historic Little Village arch at 26th & Albany. The theme for this year's parade is Tu Mexico, Tu Chicago focusing on Mexican identity and culture.

Throughout the parade, the vibrant floats will represent the different states, cultures, and traditions throughout Mexico. You can expect mariachi bands, a lot of dancing, and artists.

Those at the Little Village Chamber of Commerce say they expect a lot more people this year since the celebration is Saturday and not Sunday.

In recent years, some have decided to expand celebrations taking it to the streets bringing chaos with car caravans and fireworks.

This year many are calling for less disruption, asking people to celebrate safely and responsibly.

"We encourage celebration in a respectful manner. That is why we decided to have our event on a Saturday and on the date of Mexican Independence, to hopefully encourage people to come out to our event and celebrate with us instead of going downtown. But we do know that some people will decide to go ahead and celebrate that way," Little Village Chamber of Commerce executive director Jennifer Aguilar said.

City officials have said the Chicago Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications are working in unison to manage traffic.

The city says car caravans that create a threat to public safety will not be tolerated.

As of now, there's no word on street closures.

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