Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications warned of heightened traffic downtown this weekend as the city prepares to celebrate Mexican Independence Day.
The city said multiple events and parades will begin Friday and continue through Tuesday, including Mexican Independence Day parades in the Little Village neighborhood and on Commercial Avenue on Sunday. Other large events include the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts on Saturday and Sunday, and Lady Gaga concerts at the United Center next week.
As the threat of an immigration crackdown has escalated under President Donald Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” the fate of the city’s large and culturally significant Mexican Independence Day celebrations seem to be in flux. The downtown festival, El Grito Chicago, was postponed, but the Pilsen parade carried on last weekend.
Organizers for the Little Village parade, which kicks off at noon on Sunday from the historic Little Village Arch located on 26th Street and Albany Avenue, also vowed to go on as planned. It will have additional security, immigration lawyers and a rapid response team for immigration rights, organizers said.
“It’s an act of pride, an act of resistance during these times,” said Jennifer Aguilar, executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce. “For me, it’s personal to move forward with the parade and to still let us have joy despite everything that is going on.”
The city cautioned that residents driving downtown this weekend should plan for increased traffic and allow extra travel time. In “extreme circumstances,” the city could implement street closures, in which case residents who live or work in the impacted area may be asked to show their driver’s license or Employee ID at an access point, the office said in a news release.
For those driving downtown to attend an event or have reservations in an impacted area, they would be asked to show proof of their reservation, such as a ticket or electronic confirmation, the office said. These limitations wouldn’t apply to pedestrians, however, the office said.
The following locations will serve as access points:
- Chicago and Green
- Halsted and Washington
- Halsted and Madison
- Halsted and Jackson
- Division and LaSalle
- Roosevelt and Canal
- Taylor and Des Plaines
- 18th and State
- 18th and Michigan
- 18th and Indiana
“We remind those participating in events to be respectful of their neighbors and communities, as well as workers at critical facilities such as hospitals,” the city said in a news release. “They should also be mindful of first responders and emergency vehicles that are required to pass through areas where celebrations are occurring citywide.”
Some Chicagoans typically celebrate the holiday with car caravans downtown, which have prompted sudden street closures. On social media, there have been calls to bring their flags and drive to Trump Tower in protest this weekend, the Sun-Times first reported.
