East La’s Mexican Independence Day Parade Marks 80 Years With El Dasa, Hilda Solis and a Morning Full of Family Pride

EAST LOS ANGELES, CA — East Los Angeles woke up before dawn Sunday to celebrate a milestone that has become a signature of the neighborhood’s identity. The East LA Mexican Independence Day Parade and Festival returned for its 80th year, with volunteers setting up booth spaces outside KIPP Illuminar Academy as the area filled with anticipation.

The event is widely described as the largest and longest-running Mexican Independence Day parade and festival of its kind in the United States. This year’s celebration centered on tradition, family and culture, with more than 100 parade entrants lined up along Cesar E. Chavez Avenue before a 10 a.m. step-off.

A parade route packed with music, morning crowds and more than 100 entrants

The energy built early, even before the first bands moved out. Revelers began arriving around 7:30 a.m., hoping to secure a good view of the route and catch a glimpse of grand marshal El Dasa as the parade moved through East LA.

Mariachi Cielito Lindo opened the procession, setting the tone for a day meant to honor heritage as much as entertainment. The parade route turned Cesar E. Chavez Avenue into a staging ground for dancers, musicians and community groups, all part of a celebration that has lasted longer than most comparable events in the country.

For many attendees, the appeal is not just the performance but the familiarity. The parade has become a yearly gathering place where East LA residents and visitors can see the neighborhood’s cultural traditions expressed in public, with music, family groups and civic pride woven together from the start of the morning.

The Mexican Patriotic Civic Committee reaches its own 95-year milestone

Behind the parade’s endurance is the Mexican Patriotic Civic Committee Inc., which has guided the event for all 80 years of its existence. The organization marked another milestone Sunday as well, celebrating its 95th anniversary.

That dual anniversary underscored how deeply the parade is tied to local civic history. What began as a community celebration has grown into a major annual tradition that continues to anchor East LA’s Mexican Independence Day observance.

The committee’s role has also helped keep the event rooted in the same priorities year after year. Tradition, family and culture were the defining themes again Sunday, and the committee’s long run helps explain why the celebration has remained stable while still drawing fresh attention each September.

ABC7’s live coverage brought the festival to viewers across Los Angeles

ABC7 broadcast the parade with a two-hour live show that featured anchor Jovana Lara, meteorologist Danny Romero and reporters Abigail Velez, Monica de Anda and Sid Garcia. The station served as the event’s exclusive media partner.

Garcia also took part in the parade itself, riding in the back of a convertible. He said the celebration reflects East LA’s families, traditions and culture, and described it as a reminder of a saying his father used: “Mi casa es su casa. You come here as strangers, and you leave as family.”

The coverage helped extend the parade beyond the route, turning a local morning event into a broader broadcast moment for the region. For longtime followers and first-time viewers alike, the live reporting added another layer to a celebration already built around visibility and connection.

El Dasa’s return to Los Angeles gave the celebration a star attraction

Grand marshal El Dasa drew much of the crowd’s early attention. Fans lined the route in hopes of seeing the Grammy-nominated singer, who was also honored as one of the event’s headline figures.

El Dasa’s path to that role carries its own East LA resonance. He grew up in Sonora, Mexico, moved to Los Angeles at 18 and worked with legendary singer Vicente Fernandez. Later, he released his first album and scored his first hit.

His résumé also includes an international Emmy Award, two Latin Grammy nominations and a nomination for Premio Lo Nuestro. That mix of regional roots and wider success made him a fitting marshal for a parade that celebrates local identity while reaching well beyond the neighborhood.

Hilda Solis was honored during what she says is her final year on the board

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis was named co-grand marshal and honored during the festivities. A long-time supporter of the parade, Solis represents the county’s first supervisorial district, which includes East Los Angeles and nearly 2 million residents.

Her presence tied the parade to county leadership as well as community memory. Solis is also recognized as one of the highest-ranking Latino politicians in the country and served as U.S. secretary of labor from 2009 to 2013.

Her office has helped fund the parade in recent years, and this season carries added significance because it is her last year on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. That detail gave Sunday’s celebration a sense of transition, even as the parade itself remained centered on continuity.

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