26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade

About this happenin

Little Village fills 26th Street for the Mexican Independence Day Parade on a Sunday in mid-September, starting at noon at the Little Village Arch on Albany Avenue and running to Kostner Avenue. By the Little Village Chamber of Commerce's count, crowds in the hundreds of thousands line the two and a half miles of business corridor, which makes it one of the largest parades in the Midwest. Up to 100 registered entries march, with mariachi bands and folkloric dancers between the floats. Many people come dressed in the colors of the Mexican flag. It goes ahead rain or shine, and alcohol is not allowed. Cars are towed off 26th Street from 9 p.m. the night before, so the chamber suggests the Pink Line to Kedzie, Central Park or Pulaski, then a walk south. The stretch between Pulaski and Kostner, near the end of the route, is a good place to watch.

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Where

Little Village Arch, 26th Street · W 26th St & S Albany Ave, Chicago, IL 60623