“We are proud of our culture”

The guitar and accordion sounds of Chicago band Los K-Bros filled Grant Park Saturday afternoon as thousands of revelers jumped on bouncy castles, browsed stores and sampled quesadillas and elotes to celebrate Mexican Independence Day at the downtown “El Grito” festival.

“We came to celebrate our ethnicity,” said Liz Castelan, a 37-year-old resident of the Austin neighborhood. “We are proud of our culture and we are proud of our freedom.”

Castelan said her 4-year-old son recently started asking questions about Mexican heritage, and the festival seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about it while enjoying good music and tacos. Her 2-year-old daughter and 2-month-old son were also there.

Billed as a family-friendly event, El Grito Chicago is the first downtown celebration of the Sept. 16 holiday in a decade and honors “Mexican history, culture and gastronomy,” according to the website. El Grito, or “the cry of independence,” marks the beginning of Mexico's struggle for independence from Spain.

City officials and Mexican politicians also organized the two-day festival on Saturday and Sunday to Car convoys that dominated the streets in recent years that have led to safety concerns, traffic delays and arrests.

“We make incredible contributions to this country, to this city, economically, socially, politically and culturally. We pay thousands and thousands in taxes in the city,” said Jaime di Paulo, president and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. said the Tribune“Our community deserves the space and time to be celebrated downtown.”

Friends Fabian Godina and Areli Salazar, both 22, made the two-hour drive to the festival from southern Normal state after seeing an advertisement on TikTok. The bands, dancing and delicious food made the drive worthwhile, they said.

“We (Mexicans) work really hard for everything we do in our lives,” Godina said. “It's fun to celebrate that and show who we are.”

“The way everyone comes together and celebrates,” Salazar added. “We've never been to a Mexican restaurant… where we live in Normal, there's nothing like that. We have to come here for everything, but we really enjoy it.”

The Mexican flag was visible on the fence surrounding the main stage and many attendees wrapped themselves in a flag or dressed in green, white and red. Outside the park, vehicles waved the flag through the streets.

Organizers expect 10,000 visitors a day at the festival, which also includes artistic activities such as paper flowers and ceramic painting from the National Museum of Mexican Art, soccer classes for children from Chicago Fire and performances by the Ballet Folklórico de Chicago, the largest Mexican folk dance group in the Midwest.

On Sunday, the Consul General of Mexico will host a free official commemoration of El Grito at the Petrillo Bandshell in Grant Park. Tickets range from $10 to $175 per person.

Michelle Munoz, 30, used to celebrate the holiday downtown, joining thousands of people marching through the streets with flags and shouting “Viva México.” When she heard about the festival, she was excited and immediately bought a ticket.

“It's pretty clever. They make money from it and it builds all the bridges,” she said. “Everyone is already here and I've gotten to know all the cultures here. It's really nice.”

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Originally published: September 14, 2024 at 18:50