- Credibility:
LITTLE VILLAGE — The 26th Street Mexican Independence Day parade and Fiestas Patrias, which take place in September, have been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Little Village Chamber of Commerce announced the cancelation of the events set for the weekend of September 11-13. The events will return in 2021, according to a letter posted on Facebook.
In the past, the three-day festival celebrating Fiestas Patrias, which marks Mexico’s independence from Spain, has attracted 500,000 people to Little Village. Last year was the 50th anniversary of the celebration on 26th Street.
The “unfortunate but necessary decision” was made “out of an abundance of caution and concern for the health and safety of the Little Village residents and visitors in the wake of COVID-19,” chamber executive director Blanca Soto said in the letter.
“We would like more than anything to be preparing to host one of our favorite cultural events, however, we must continue to put the health and safety of our community members and visitors first,” Soto said.
In May, the 60623 zip code which includes Little Village and North Lawndale had the highest number of coronavirus cases across the state. To date, 3,341 residents living in the zip code have tested positive. There have been 129 deaths, according to city-data.
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