Imperial Valley Celebrates Mexican Independence with Weekend Events

-Editorial

The sounds of mariachi and folkloric music accompanied Mexican Independence Day celebrations across the Imperial Valley over the weekend, as residents gathered for two days of cultural performances, food, and the traditional Grito ceremony.

The Mexican Consulate coordinated events on Sept. 12 and 13 commemorating the 216th anniversary of the beginning of Mexico’s independence movement in 1810.

The weekend began Saturday evening with “Día del Grito: Fiesta Mexicana” at Imperial Valley Mall, organized in coordination with the mall and the Brawley Chamber of Commerce.

The celebration featured Mariachi Aurora de Calexico, Sunshine Folkloric and La Cachimba, which performed a tribute to Los Ángeles Azules. Food vendors and a beer garden featuring regional craft beer and wine were also part of the event.

At 8 p.m., the traditional Grito ceremony began with the participation of the military honor guard from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.

Rocío Vázquez Álvarez, head consul of the Mexican Consulate in Calexico, said the event provided an opportunity to celebrate Mexican heritage while strengthening partnerships in the Imperial Valley.

“We are always happy to be able to celebrate our history, our culture and our traditions,” Vázquez Álvarez said. “For me, it is an honor and a privilege to be here and to continue creating these types of partnerships.”

Edgar Maen, marketing manager at Imperial Valley Mall, said the celebration was also part of the mall’s effort to provide more community events and opportunities for local performers, vendors and organizations.

“Many times, people tell us there is nothing to do in the Imperial Valley,” Maen said. “So we started asking where the problem comes from and how we can solve it and create opportunities, especially spaces for talent, for the community and for the vendors here in the Imperial Valley.”

Maen estimated more than 500 people had attended Saturday evening as the celebration continued, surpassing attendance at some of the mall’s summer concerts.

“Coming together as a community is the key to being able to do it,” Maen said.

The celebration continued Sept. 13 at Hidalgo Hall in Brawley, where the Hidalgo Society. 

A centerpiece of the Brawley celebration was the presentation of the Ohtli Award to Lideres Campesinas — Imperial Valley for its work with farmworkers and families in the region.

The Ohtli Award is presented by the Mexican government to individuals and organizations whose work has contributed to Mexican communities abroad.

Vázquez Álvarez said Lideres Campesinas has spent more than 30 years in California empowering farmworker women, providing education about workers’ rights and pesticide exposure, and advocating for policy changes. Its Imperial Valley chapter has carried out that work locally for about six years, she said.

Vázquez Álvarez described the Ohtli Award as one of the Mexican government’s most significant recognitions for those who have helped “open a path” for Mexican communities.

“For us, it is extremely important to recognize and show our gratitude for that tireless work so that it can continue to prosper,” she said.