26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade, festival canceled this year due to COVID
CHICAGO - The 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade and Fiestas Patrias Festival have been canceled again this year over COVID-19 concerns.
Little Village officials made the announcement Tuesday night.
The parade and festival were scheduled to take place the weekend of September 10-12. Instead, the historic Little Village Arch will be lit for the month of September in celebration of Mexican Independence Day and related festivities.
"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," Executive Director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce Ivette Trevino said in a statement.
"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," she added.
The 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade is one of the country’s largest and most popular parades.
Both the parade and festival are expected to return in September of 2022.