SeeCalifornia.com

A few years ago I didn’t ‘know nothin’ (double negative) about Fiestas Patrias or Mexican patriotic holidays. I’m all about learning new things and this one seemed quite popular in California. For the Hispanic community it was up there with Cinco de Mayo, Day of the Dead and other such holidays that have crossed over into the mainstream and are celebrated by a cultural mix.

Like any holiday, there are a few things to learn — especially if you want to understand why community leaders stand on the West Steps of the State Capitol in Sacramento and perform El Grito de Dolores in unison on the evening of Sept.15, 2018.

According US Census data, there are around 9 million Mexicans in California. They comprise approx. 25% of the state population.

California Fiestas Patrias & El Grito

• SANTA ANA: One of the state’s biggest Fiestas Patrias events won favor by the city over Cinco de Mayo in 2018 when it was determined that a choice would be made to pick just one of two major city celebrations and eliminate the other.
• LOS ANGELES: The epi-center of this particular holiday’s celebrations in California remains L.A. Not only does the City of Los Angeles celebrate Latino Heritage Month in September, historic and cultural icons host festival events. East Los Angeles Mexican Independence Day Parade & Festival, Inglewood Hispanic Heritage Festival, and downtown’s El Grito Arts & Music Festival or Fiestas Patrias are worth checking out!