Thousands begin weeklong festivities for Mexico holiday

Despite the heat many Las Vegans were at Freedom Park Sunday to celebrate Mexican Independence Day.

Temperatures in the 90s did not discourage revelers from arriving at the park in East Las Vegas in jeans, boots, long-sleeved shirts and cowboy hats.

The Mexican Patriotic Committee ran the celebration for the 19th straight year, and more than 20,000 were expected to attend what is the biggest Hispanic series of events in the state, said organizers.

"It's a really nice celebration," said Guillermo Rameriz, a worker at the Lifetime kitchenwares booth. "It's definitely worth it to come out here and see the booths and everything. It's a very fun day."

The celebration featured more than 50 booths that contained souvenirs, crafts, Mexican food and local businesses. There were also two stages that provided music and magic shows and a small midway with games and carnival rides.

The first aid booth provided by the Santa Ana Medical Center reported that there were no serious injuries at the celebration that ran from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

"We are here to help with any injuries, but we also want to get the word out about our services," said Elsa Peralta, business administrator for the medical center.

It was the third year that Bernadine Fredricksen had attended the celebration, and she recommended the food.

"It was awesome," Fredricksen said.

The Freedom Park celebration kicks off a week of events to commemorate Mexico's independence. The independence movement started on Sept. 16, 1810, when a priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rallied his parishioners to revolt against their Spanish colonizers.

Other events planned for the week include traditional folk dancing at John S. Park Elementary School on Tuesday and food, guitar music and ballet folklorico at the Community College of Southern Nevada on Wednesday.

The weekend kicks off at the Rafael Rivera Community Center with food, carnival games and rides. The final event, the National Mariachi Festival, will be Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

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