Father Miguel Hidalgo’s emotional 1810 “grito” exhorting residents of New Spain to take up arms against their masters will be reenacted in the main plazas of cities, towns and villages the length and breadth of Mexico on Sunday, September 15 at 11 p.m.
From early afternoon on Sunday, Mexicans will be out in force to celebrate their national day, waving flags, wearing giant sombreros, blowing horns, eating traditional foods and reveling in the unique, festive atmosphere.
The biggest celebration in these parts is in downtown Guadalajara, where Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro will deliver the first grito of his tenure from the balcony of the Government Palace.
Large crowds will fill the Plaza de Armas and revel in the firework display that follows the grito ceremony. Stalls set up in the adjacent Plaza de la Liberation will be selling all kinds of typical foods: pozole, tacos, tostados, buñuelos, sopes, and much more.
For a “Grito” experience without the crowds of the city center, head to either one of two popular spots on the western side of the city. The Glorieta Chapalita hosts a relaxed Grito party with all the right (culinary) trappings, as does the park at Bach and Millet in Colonia La Estancia.
If you want to get the flavor but without venturing out, the grito delivered by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the Zocalo in Mexico City is broadcast on all national channels.
Monday, September 16 is Independence Day and a national holiday, when schools, businesses, government offices, consulates and most stores will close. Guadalajara’s traditional Independence Day parade has been moved this year from the city center to the Calzada Federalismo. Staring at 10 a.m. from the Avenida Juarez intersection, the parade runs down Federalismo to Calle Jesus Garcia, a distance of 18 blocks. The colorful parade showcases dozens of governmental, military and civic groups, as well as marching bands.