Latest news with #LaFiestadeElgin
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Plans for new La Fiesta de Elgin parade canceled by lack of entries
Plans for a La Fiesta de Elgin parade have been scrapped because too few people signed up to participate, but that won't stop them from trying again next year, organizers said. This year, they will return to the traditional caravan of cars, an event that has been held in past Elgin celebrations of Mexican Independence Day. La Fiesta de Elgin also will offer the traditional elements of live music, food vendors, a market and fireworks when it's held Saturday, Sept. 13. Making the jump from a caravan to parade proved more difficult than anticipated, according to Elgin City Councilman Anthony Ortiz. Friends of Masons organized the first caravan five years ago and approached the city last year about replacing it with a downtown parade, similar to the one held for the Fourth of July but as a gathering that would put the spotlight on Hispanic culture, Ortiz said. While a committee started putting plans together for the event in January, it became clear in the last few weeks that they would not have enough entries to pull it off, he said. 'It's our first year doing it. People just didn't know about it,' Oritz said. 'We have to go back to the drawing board and educate the community, tell them we are doing a parade and get them to sign up.' Ortiz said he hopes the event will make its debut next year and become another part of the day-long celebration, but until then the caravan will remain one of the main La Fiesta activities organized by the city in partnership with Centro de Informacion, Epic Real Estate Group, Elgin State Bank and Friends of Masons, he said. And attendees this year can look forward to an expanded La Fiesta de Elgin Mercado, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Riverside Drive. The street market will have Hispanic-owned businesses, live music, a car show and family-friendly activities, organizers said. Hours for the free evening festival will be 5 to 11 p.m. at downtown Festival Park, where a large replica of Mexico City's Angel of Independence will be on display and family activities, like a piñata smash, will be held. Bands slated to perform this year are Los Yaguarú, Estilo Al Norte, Sonora Dinamita and Banda Los Sebastianes. DJ Eddy P will serve as MC and be spinning tunes between sets. The celebration also will include El Grito, the traditional call for Mexico's independence, and will end with fireworks. As for the caravan, it is set to start at 9 a.m. at the intersection of Slade and Douglas avenues and end on Highland Avenue. Additional festival details can be found at
Chicago Tribune
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin News Digest: Elgin Symphony Orchestra, music director receive state honors; Elgin Symphony Orchestra, music director receive state honors
A new community garden, both raised and on-the-ground planter beds trellises, has been set up at Carpentersville Middle School. It was made possible through a University of Illinois Extension grant, according to a School District 300 social media post. The work was done by District 300 buildings and grounds and custodial employees Andres Banuelos, Jimmy Gonzalez, Christopher Mietus, Scott Minarczyk, Robert Prehn, Courtney Stone, Otoniel Vargas and Paul Wiloff. 'Thanks to their hard work and support, we were able to build our new community garden, which will provide fresh produce to local families through the D300 Food Pantry,' deLacey Family Education Center Principal Meggan Dacy said in the post. The Elgin Symphony Orchestra has been named Professional Orchestra of the Year and ESO Music Director Chad Goodman chosen was chosen as Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras. This marks the first time in the ESO's history that the organization has received both awards in the same year, according to a news release The ESO has received the Orchestra of the Year honors in 1988, 1999, 2005 and 2016. It's the fourth time an ESO conductor has received the state group's recognition. Robert Hanson received the award in 2001 and 2009 and Andrew Grams in 2015. 'It's an incredible honor to have these two awards presented in the same year as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary,' ESO CEO Marc Thayer said in the release. A formal presentation of the awards will be made at a future ESO concert. Registration is underway through Wednesday, Aug. 20, for Elgin's inaugural La Fiesta de Elgin parade, a new addition to the La Fiesta de Elgin, and through Sunday, Sept. 8, to take part in Carpentersville's revived El Grito parade. The Elgin parade will step off at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at the downtown intersection of Slade and Douglas avenues and concludes at Grove Avenue and Division Street, according to a news release. Seating will be available along Grove Avenue from Slade Avenue to the end of the route. The celebration will continue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m with El Mercado along Riverside Drive. The market will feature businesses, food vendors, live music, a car show and family-friendly activities. An evening festival will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. in Festival Park, 132 S. Grove Ave. The event will conclude with El Grito, the traditional Mexican call for independence, followed by a fireworks show. Parade registration is $120 for businesses and $35 for nonprofit organizations. To register, go to Carpentersville's last El Grito Parade was held in 2018, village events coordinator Jen Hyde said. It has been revived and will be held this year at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 13, with participants lining up at the Meadowdale Shopping Center. The parade will start on Mall Drive, continue down L.W. Besinger Drive, turn onto Maple Avenue and end at Carpenter village's annual Fiestapalooza will be held in the park after the parade. There is no fee to take part in the parade. To sign up, email JHyde@ Elgin Development Group, a division of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, has released '2025 Data @ a Glance,' a 12-page booklet about the city. The booklet contains information about Elgin's business, municipal and residential activity and growth; population and diversity factors; workforce sectors and categories; health care resources and services; and educational institutions, according to a news release. Data presented comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois Department of Employment Security, Elgin Community College and CoStar Group Inc., a provider of real estate information and analytics in the commercial and residential property markets. 'This information is critical to share as it serves as a valuable first path for Elgin businesses interested in expansion and for prospective businesses looking to open in Elgin,' Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Carol Giesek said in the release. It is also available on the Elgin Development Group and chamber websites and at the chamber office, 31 S. Grove Ave., Elgin. For more information, go to
Chicago Tribune
22-02-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin to buy two military-style wedge barricades to enhance public event security
The city of Elgin plans to buy two anti-vehicle barricade systems to keep people safer at special events, officials said. A $312,089 contract for MP5000 mobile wedge barricades from Delta Scientific Corp. has been tentatively approved by the Elgin City Council. They primarily will be used at Riverside Drive and North Grove Avenue but can be placed anywhere as needed, said Amanda Harris, director of cultural arts and special events. 'They accommodate emergency vehicle access, deploy quickly and can be used across various locations in the city,' said Harris, who would not agree to be interviewed and answered all questions by email. 'This solution allows staff to maximize existing barrier resources while ensuring public safety.' The purchase is expected to be formally approved at the council's Feb. 26 meeting. The MP5000 was designed to meet the needs of the U.S. Army at checkpoints in Afghanistan, according to Delta's website. They've been been used to protect life and property nationally and worldwide, the site said. Each has its own trailer and can be deployed within 30 minutes, the online description said. Emergency vehicles can be given access by pushing a button, and the devices have gone through full-scale crash tests by an independent lab, the website said. Previously, the city purchased 51 physical barricades that were used almost weekly last summer and fall, Harris said in her email. Those barricades will be used this year as well. Elgin has increased the number special events it's been holding in recent years and is seeing larger attendance, Harris said. Among the largest of the city's 50 or so fests, parades and other gatherings are the Fourth of July parade and fireworks display, Nightmare on Chicago Street, La Fiesta de Elgin and the End of Summer Bash. The city also holds Movies in the Park and Concerts in the Park as well several events co-sponsored with other groups, Harris said. Attendance can range greatly depending on the kind of event, she said. While smaller attractions will bring out between 150 and 300 people, the city's largest — Nightmare on Chicago Street — drew about 21,000 people last year, she said. The Downtown Association of Elgin held its Farmers Market on the Riverside Drive promenade every Friday last summer, attracting about 22,800 over the course of the season, according to its annual report. That was a 13.8% increase over 2023. The largest attendance day was Sept. 13 when about 3,500 people visited, the report said. Efforts to strengthen safety during events has been something the Elgin Police Department has made a priority since a man drove through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in November 2021, killing six and injuring 62. More recently, 10 people were killed and dozens were injured when a man drove a pickup truck into a New Year's Eve crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and two people died last week during a vehicle ramming attack in Munich, Germany. Harris said the MP5000 will be used with the existing barricades to provide a 'multi-layered security approach that includes various types of barriers, like concrete jersey walls and public safety vehicles, as part of our comprehensive security plan. 'These measures are designed to enhance crowd safety, control traffic flow and provide an effective deterrent to potential threats,' Harris said. 'Our comprehensive security planning is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure community safety.'
