El Grito y Fiestas Patrias 2007

El Grito y Fiestas Patrias returns to downtown Portland, Sept. 14-16

Portland, OR — Pioneer Courthouse Square will once again be filled with the sounds of Latin music, the smells of delicious food, and the colorful energy of folkloric dancers when El Hispanic News and Global Events Group present the second annual El Grito y Fiestas Patrias celebration September 14 through September 16 in downtown Portland.

Entry is free to all three days of entertainment. The party begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14, and runs until 10 p.m. that evening. The hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16.

       El Grito y Fiestas Patrias celebrates the independence of Mexico and other Latin American countries from Spain. As Mexican President Felipe Calderón presents the nation’s traditional El Grito in Mexico City, so too will Portland commemorate Mexican independence in the same manner and at the same time in Pioneer Courthouse Square, with a presentation of the revolutionary cry for independence, known as El Grito de Independencia, by interim Consul General David Simón Sigueras at 9 p.m. on September 15. Portland Mayor Tom Potter will also be on hand to proclaim September 15 as the “Day of El Grito y Fiestas Patrias Celebration” in the City of Portland.

The weekend-long fiesta will feature musical and dance performances by a wide variety of performers, from the pop-cumbia sounds of La Conquista to Aztec dancing by Grupo Huitzilin to “rock en español” by local bands Beat and Grupo Gérmenes. Other performers include Ballet Papalotl, Grupo Candente, Grupo Antifaz, Mariachi Gallos de América, Mariachi Viva México, La Perlita de México, Enemigos del Silencio, and Ramsey y los Montunos.

       Sponsored by Southwest Airlines and Qwest, El Grito y Fiestas Patrias will also feature delicious food and beverages and offerings from the worlds both of art and commerce. For more information and a schedule of performances, visit www.elgrito.elhispanicnews.com, or call El Hispanic News y más at 503-228-3139.