Thousands of people gathered in downtown Watsonville Sunday for the annual Mexican Independence Day Festival.
Hosted by Fiestas Patrias, the free event featured a wealth of live bands, both local and from Mexico, folkloric dance groups, food booths, arts and crafts and information tables that spread out around the plaza and a closed off Main and Peck streets.
The five and a half-hour festival invited Mayor Maria Orozco, Supervisor Felipe Hernandez and others to the stage for their brief messages about the importance of recognizing the day.
Mexican Independence Day, also known as “El Grito de Dolores” (the shout of Dolores) commemorates the start of Mexico’s fight for independence. The celebration harkens back to the night of Sept. 15, 1810, when revolutionary leader Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang a church bell in Dolores, Guanajuato, to bring the community together for battle the following day. For many Mexicans, it is a time to celebrate their heritage.
On Sunday a traditional grito was staged by the Consul General Neftali Said Perez Gonzalez, representing the Mexican Consulate in San Jose who also presented a Mexican flag to Orozco and the City of Watsonville and rang a large bell.
