West Cook News

For the past 18 years, the Town of Cicero has celebrated Mexican Independence with an event that has grown into one of the largest in Cook County: El Grito. On September 15th at 9 a.m., the Consul General of Mexico in Chicago, Gerardo Guerrero, conducted the traditional Grito de Dolores in front of a crowd of nearly 20,000 attendees, marking 214 years since Mexico’s independence. This event not only draws locals but also serves as a cultural hub for the larger Mexican and Central American communities in the area.

“This is a tradition for us, and we’re excited to celebrate it in Cicero once again,” said Consul Gerardo Guerrero. “Cicero holds one of the biggest events we have for Independence Day. It’s emotional because even though they live here, Mexico is in their hearts and souls. Viva Mexico!”

The festivities, made possible by Cicero’s leadership and the town’s Mexican Cultural Committee, are a blend of carnival rides, cultural showcases, and community unity. President Larry Dominick shared his enthusiasm: “I am looking forward to this so everyone can celebrate their independence. Every carnival we give out 4,000 wristbands. We giveaway 1,500 at the park. Then we ride around and pass them out. And today we had 500 wristbands, and we are handing them out right now. I love to see the smile on their face once we place the wristband on them.”

Dominick’s dedication to making Cicero’s festivals unique was echoed by Commissioner Frank Aguilar, founder of the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee. “With the support of President Larry Dominick and the Board of Trustees, I founded the committee 18 years ago. We started small, but now it’s probably the best well-organized and biggest Mexican organization in Cook County. It just gets better and better, and everybody’s happy.”

As the event continued throughout the day, Director Patty Salerno from Special Events noted that attendance had already reached around 15,000 people by midday and was expected to hit capacity by evening. “The park is completely filled from 34th through the community park on to past Laramie. We are very well known for El Grito.”

Community members like Auriyana Montenegro expressed their joy: “It’s really awesome! My favorite part is that you get to go on these amazing rides. Larry Dominick gave out these free wristbands—that’s very kind of him.”

Cicero’s strong sense of community was also highlighted by President Maru Ayala of the Cicero Mexican Cultural Committee: “Every year at every event I say thanks to President Larry Dominick because he makes this possible. We are here celebrating Mexican Independence Day saying ‘Viva Mexico!’”

The event also featured local pageant winners including Miss Cicero 2024 Dayanara Parra who shared her excitement: “The parade was amazing, and I’m very happy that our community comes here to celebrate Mexican culture.” Her predecessor Emily Apango praised President Dominick for supporting this tradition.

Town Trustees Blanca Vargas and Victor Garcia emphasized celebrating cultural heritage during such events: “El Grito de Cicero has been persistent and always forward,” said Vargas. Trustee Garcia added: “We’re celebrating not only Mexican Independence but Central American independence too."

First Lady Diana Dominick extended her gratitude to those who joined in paying tribute to those who fought for Mexico's freedom.

As night fell and celebrations continued into late hours, El Grito reaffirmed its status as one of Cicero's most cherished events with strong support from leaders alongside enthusiastic participation from residents.