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SALT LAKE CITY — A few parts of downtown Salt Lake City will be lit up in red, green and white later this week in celebration of Mexican Independence Day.
The Walker Center and the Salt Lake City-County Building will be illuminated in the colors of the Mexican Flag on Thursday and Friday to commemorate the 212th anniversary of the independence of Mexico and to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
"I'm so grateful to our strong Hispanic communities for all their contributions that make Salt Lake City the vibrant place it is," Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement. "It's an honor to celebrate the many ways Hispanic families and businesses add to the beauty and culture of our capital city."
Mexicans make up over 75% of Utah's Hispanic population. Overall, 15% of the state's population is Hispanic.
"The celebration of Mexico's independence creates an opportunity to strengthen ties and recognize the value of immigrants in building and enriching the nation," the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City said in a statement. "This initiative reinforces the welcoming and inclusive nature of the people and elected officials of the city of Salt Lake."
Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on Sept. 16 as the day that Mexico declared its independence from Spain in 1810. Utahns have two opportunities to celebrate the holiday.
The Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City is hosting a free celebration on Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. at the Gallivan Center and Centro Civico Mexicano is hosting a reenactment of "El Grito de Independencia" on Thursday from 7-10 p.m. at Centro Civico Mexicano. More information about both events is available on KSL's calendar of Hispanic Heritage Month events.
