A fiesta sponsored by the Southside Community Organization will begin at 11 a.m. and continue to 6 p.m. at the park, located at Central Avenue and First Street.
The afternoon will include DJ and mariachi music, arts and crafts, food booths, a car show, raffles, churros and a handball tournament.
Speakers tracing the 200-year-old history of the Mexican independence movement will include Richard Raya and Richard Soto. They will tell the story of the revolution that was started in 1810 and culminated 11 years later with Mexican independence from the Spanish colonial regime.
Raul Nava Villa, grandson of Mexican patriot Pancho Villa, will present “Grito.”
I know they sell the fireworks.
We have fun celebrating our heritage, we make food according to our custom. I am proud to say I am half Scandanivian and we celebrate the Festival of Lights (Ljusfestivalen) known as Saint Lucy's Day Dec. 13th. and fourth French and fourth potato on the side (Irish).
And what we learned from the many enthic celebration we take with us!
But go and enjoy yourselves, I know I would! Great way to meet other people.
I agree with the last commentator and the history as it happened.
CN
Let's see. Where does California get its name? Oh, yes, the Spanish named it after a Queen of the Amazons. Before California was admitted to the union in 1850, it was a part of ... oh yeah...Mexico. So this is a part of California history any 4th grader can tell you.
Because the USA is a free country, people can get together and recognize and celebrate their heritage. If you're French, you can celebrate Bastille Day. If you're Chinese, you can celebrate your Chinese New Year. If people are interested in attending these events, they are always welcomed. If not, you're free to stay home.
The SSCO is a great organization. Support them.
CN
Still wanting to learn how to make a fantastic burrito like I ate at the Mexican place in Santa Cruz. If they set up shop in Tracy, I bet it will draw lot of customers!
Independence from debt, I like that.
CN
President Kennedy and President Reagan was an Irish-American. Many famous people are Irish Americans. The Irish were no problem since they do not drain our resources as severely as the illegal Mexicans have.
PS. Watching what Carlos Slim is doing for New York Times and his wanting to buy a 44 million dollar residence in New York, why doesn't he put the money into Mexico? Most curious.
Enjoy.
Saint Patrick's Day (March 17th), is an Irish holiday honoring Saint Patrick, the missionary credited with converting the Irish to Christianity (in the A.D. 400's).
Saint Patrick was not actually Irish. Historical sources report that he was born around 373 A.D. in either Scotland (near the town of Dumbarton) or in Roman Britain (the Romans left Britain in 410 A.D.). His real name is believed to be Maewyn Succat (he took on Patrick, or Patricus, after he became a priest). He was kidnapped at the age of 16 by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland (I am not making this up). During his 6-year captivity (he worked as a shepherd), he began to have religious visions, and found strength in his faith. He finally escaped (after voices in one of his visions told him where he could find a getaway ship) and went to France, where he became a priest (and later a bishop).
When he was about 60 years old, St. Patrick travelled to Ireland to spread the Christian word. It's said that Patrick had an unusually winning personality, and that helped him win converts. He used the shamrock, which resembles a three-leafed clover, as a metaphor to explain the concept of the Trinity (father, son, holy spirit).
Legend has it that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland -- that they all went into the sea and drowned. Poor snakes. I don't know why he would want to do this, except that the snake was a revered pagan symbol, and perhaps this was a figurative tale alluding to the fact that he drove paganism out of Ireland.
In America, Saint Patrick's Day is a basically a time to wear green and party. The first American celebration of Saint Patrick's Day was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737. As the saying goes, on this day "everybody is Irish!" Over 100 U.S. cities now hold Saint Patrick's Day parades, the largest held in New York City.
Green is associated with Saint Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock. Leprechauns are also associated with this holiday, although I'm not sure why. Leprechauns of legend are actually mean little creatures, with the exception of the Lucky Charms guy. They were probably added later on because capitalists needed something cute to put on greeting cards.
What's good luck on Saint Patrick's Day?:
Finding a four-leaf clover (that's double the good luck it usually is).
Wearing green.
(School children have started a little tradition of their own -- they pinch classmates who don't wear green on this holiday).
Kissing the blarney stone.
An Irish blessing to take with you today:
May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow
And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.
We are all Irish on St. Patricks Day, but we are not all Mexicans on Mexican Independence Day.
I am with LAM75 on this.
Just hoping there won't be any tension on that day or that night. Good luck.
CN
They can have this celebration if they wish, but I think it is odd for them to do it in another country. Ridiculous to have it here if you ask me. I am not sure if Mexico also lights the skies with fireworks on 4th of July?
Why should we care about the independence Mexico?I feel that if they want to celebrate it, I wonder why they are here then?
Should we celebrate Russian Independence day and parade Vladi Lenin statues around too? He incited a revolt too like Pancho Villa, and should the Russian Revolt be applauded and glorified?
Should we really paint Pancho Villa as a "Mexican Patriot", shame on you Tracy Press for putting a sugar coating this thug mexican revolutionary murderer named Pancho Villa.
He was a mexican terroist