Elgin will celebrate Mexican Independence Day and the start of Hispanic Heritage Month with an expanded celebration that features a new name.
La Fiesta de Elgin, which was called “Canta con Orgullo” last year, has added an extra day of activities and takes place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13 and 14.
“We changed the name because this is more typical of what you’d see in Mexico for similar celebrations,” Cultural Arts and Special Events Director Amanda Harris said. “We’ve got so many exciting things planned.”
The event will feature festivities celebrating Hispanic music, dance and art, including a replica sculpture of Mexico City’s famous “Ángel de la Independencia” and another large-scale artwork created with local immigrants.
Mariel Gutierrez, 3, of Mundelein dances during the “Canta con Orgullo” festival at Festival Park in Elgin in 2023. The event is back for its second year but has been renamed La Fiesta de Elgin.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected], 2023
The fiesta kicks off Friday with several events, including cultural performances at Civic Center Plaza and El Grito, which honors the traditional call to arms on the eve of Mexican Independence Day, from 6 to 8 p.m. A car meet will happen from 5 to 8 p.m. at the nearby city hall south parking lot.
Hispanic vendors will participate at the Downtown Elgin Market from 3 to 7 p.m., with live mariachis from 5 to 6 p.m.
A car caravan organized by Friends of Masons will kick off Saturday’s activities at La Fiesta de Elgin.
Brian Hill/[email protected], 2021
The annual car caravan organized by the Friends of Masons will kick off Saturday’s activities at noon from 901 Center St.
At 5 p.m., the party moves to Festival Park, where you can immerse yourself in Mexican culture with interactive activities, food, drinks and live music from Banda Peñasco de Zacatecas, Los Sementales de Nuevo León, La Potencia de la Música Norteña, DJ Eddy P and culminating with Banda La Sinaloense.
Banda La Sinaloense will perform Saturday during La Fiesta de Elgin.
Courtesy of the city of Elgin
Fireworks are scheduled for 9:20 p.m. The fiesta goes until 11 p.m.
Harris said she is very excited for people to experience the papel picado, a 40-foot sculpture spelling out Elgin and adorned with art created by recent immigrants who are clients of Centro de Informacion.
The project was a form of art therapy where the people were asked to communicate their history and journey to America.
“The stories are so beautiful,” Harris said.
The individual works were transferred to a wooden base and assembled by a pair of artists. The sculpture, created in partnership with the Housing Authority’s YouthBuild Program, will serve as a traveling exhibit.
For more information on the event, go to cityofelgin.org/fiesta.