(Chicago, IL)- The Little Village – 26th Street Area Chamber of Commerce announces the lighting of the Little Village Arch in lieu of hosting the 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade and the Fiestas Patrias Festival originally scheduled to take place the weekend of September 10-12, 2021. Instead, the historic Little Village Arch will be lit for a month starting September 1 through September 30, 2021, in celebration of Mexican Independence Day and related festivities. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution and concern for the health and safety of Little Village community residents and visitors as COVID-19 numbers now continue to rise in Illinois.
“This was an extremely difficult decision to make since the Mexican Independence Day Parade and the Fiestas Patrias Festival are the largest and most popular signature events that we host as an organization, however, with the unfortunate increase in COVID cases we need to continue to prioritize the health and safety of our residents and visitors before anything else,” said Ivette Trevino, Executive Director, Little Village Chamber of Commerce. “Working closely with our Board of Directors and Special Events Committee, we have decided to light the Little Village Arch for the entire month of September to commemorate Mexican Independence Day.”
The 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade has become one of the nation’s largest and most popular parades. The parade helps promote local businesses and highlights the driving economic force of the Latino consumer and business community. The Fiestas Patrias Festival officially celebrates Mexican Independence from Spanish colonial rule, “Dia de la Independencia.” The Festival offers attendees a wide variety of family entertainment, arts and crafts along with authentic food and beverages. The festivities are the largest and most important Mexican and Mexican – American cultural celebrations in the Midwest. The Little Village Chamber of Commerce traditionally hosts these events the second weekend of September in the heart of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. Both are expected to return in September of 2022.
