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Grand Prairie to host El Grito gala, Grand Fiesta parade and other events for Hispanic Heritage Month
Summary
City-supported events in September include an El Grito gala at the Pioneer Event Center, a free Grand Fiesta festival and parade at City Hall, and a Sept. 20 gala marking 30 years of a local adult-literacy program.
Mary Dominguez, a guest on the community program "It's Happening in Grand Prairie," said the city will again support multiple events to mark Hispanic Heritage Month in September, including an El Grito gala, a downtown festival and parade, and a 30th-anniversary gala for a local adult literacy organization.
The calendar begins Sept. 11 with an El Grito (Mexican Independence Day) gala at the Pioneer Event Center; tickets are $25, Dominguez said. On Sept. 13 the Grand Fiesta's Patria Festival and Parade will be held at City Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Dominguez said that festival and parade are free and family oriented. On Sept. 20 organizers will mark 30 years of a local adult literacy program, Mi Escuelita, with a dinner and awards event at The Summit from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
"It's completely free, and it's a family oriented event. Everybody is welcome," Dominguez said of the Sept. 13 festival. She described vendors, entertainment and folklorico performances that organizers expect to include school groups and other community participants.
Dominguez said parade lineup begins as early as 8:30 a.m. and that this year John Lopez will serve as grand marshal. She identified the Hispanic Heritage Ambassadors DFW as a source for tickets and applications for vendors and parade participation, and she said the Grand Prairie Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is a resource for information about the Sept. 20 gala.
Organizers listed several honorees for the literacy gala, including Mayor Ron Jensen and Gloria Carrillo; Dr. Elvia Martinez Wallace was named in the program as founder of the local adult-literacy organization. Dominguez also encouraged residents who want to join the parade or apply as vendors to use the cited online forms and contact event organizers for assistance.
Organizers emphasized the events' educational aims in addition to celebration. Dominguez said the calendar is intended to showcase cultural traditions and to welcome all members of the community.
Less critical details: some events will sell food on site; vendor offerings will range from tacos to other family foods. Organizers also plan a kids area, mascots and a butterfly release as part of festival programming.
