Chicago prepares for downtown gridlock as Mexican Independence Day celebrations begin
CHICAGO - In celebration of Mexican Independence Day, hundreds of cars displaying flags began parading along Michigan Avenue on Friday night.
The celebrations are only expected to ramp up throughout the weekend.
In Chicago’s Central Business District, a heightened police presence was visible beginning Friday afternoon. Salt trucks and tow trucks were on standby, and temporary "no parking" signs had been posted near Grant Park.
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses were being utilized to transport CPD officers from a staging area near Soldier Field to their posts downtown.
In the past, caravans have caused chaos in the city, but officials said they have a better handle on the situation this year.
"We worked out an incident management plan that was correcting the mistakes of the past," said Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd Ward.
If needed, the Chicago Office of Emergency Management & Communications will implement rolling street closures. Hopkins shared that CPD’s brand-new, $11 million helicopter will help with that.
"We can see when traffic gridlock is about to form and we can take steps to intervene and try to guide the traffic away from that area; hopefully prevent the traffic jams before they start," said Hopkins.
In the event of street closures, residents and workers will still be able to access their homes and jobs at various entry points.
Drifting and drag-racing, Hopkins adds, will not be tolerated.
"You will be arrested; your vehicle will be impounded. Don’t do it, don’t even try it," said Hopkins.
With one in five Chicagoans proudly claiming Mexican heritage, festivities will be plentiful throughout the weekend.
Planned events include the 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade in Little Village and El Grito Fest in Grant Park, which is returning for the first time in more than a decade.
"The idea is to bring a little bit of pride to our community in downtown Chicago," said Jaime di Paulo, president & CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC). "This is a collaboration with a couple of groups and the Chamber of Commerce to bring back El Grito where it belongs – downtown."
Open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, organizers and city leaders think the festival could be the answer to curbing impromptu caravans.
"Trying to help the city out, hopefully alleviate some of the traffic that goes on this weekend. If we can impact 3,000 vehicles less, it’s significant," said di Paulo.
Hopkins added: "Having an event like this, where there’s a central location people can come, we believe is going to make the external traffic much more manageable."
Between music, art, and food, Mexican culture will be on full display.
"We are going to have the Mexican Art Museum doing some activations here," said di Paulo.
Chef Armando Gonzalez is among the vendors who will take part in the festival. He is looking forward to serving some of his most popular dishes from Amerikas, located in Oak Park.
"I’m very proud to be Oaxacan and more proud to be Mexican, and I’m very proud to be at this event for sure," said Gonzalez.
He shares that the weekend is a time to showcase Mexican pride and welcome the entire community to be involved.
"We are really good people, hard workers. We are part of Chicago," said Gonzalez.
Tickets to El Grito Fest are affordable for the whole family, starting at $10 for a one-day pass and $18 for a two-day pass.
Children under 10 years old will be admitted free of charge if accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. You can learn more here.
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