Nearly 31,000 people attended the Town of Cicero’s annual Mexican Independence Day celebrations which began on Thursday Sept. 14 at Cicero Community Park, and ended with a record crowd enjoying the parade on Sunday, Sept. 17 on Cermak Road and El Grito later that same evening. Held at Cicero Community Park, 34th and Laramie, the festival features live music, food, carnival rides games and giveaways. Town President Larry Dominick, who rode in the parade on a retired and renovated Fire Truck, said he was very happy that the community residents enjoyed the festival and did not experience many of the problems that plagued other festivals including in nearby Chicago. After the parade President Dominick and his wife, first lady Diana Dominick, the director if the Town’s Senior Center, handed out bracelets all afternoon to children at the festival. President Dominick handed out more than 4,000 wristbands for every carnival which allows children to enjoy most of the carnival rides free-of-charge. “Everybody’s independence is important and since we got a huge Spanish population I want to show them that I’m part of them and that we celebrate and I wish them all a good time when they come here. As you can see the festival is over packed. We had a great parade. I’m proud I could do it. I see a lot of smiling kids’ faces and that’s what I like,” said Cicero Town President Larry Dominick. The Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago joined the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee for our annual El Grito. The Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago Deputy Council Gerardo Guerrero gave the official El Grito.

Photo Credit: Town of Cicero