Drivers flood Chicago Loop for second night for Mexican Independence Day festivities
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hundreds of drivers converged downtown Friday night in celebration of Mexican Independence Day.
A long line of drivers came down Washington Street near the CBS 2 Broadcast Center waving Mexican flags, honking their horns, and sometimes revving their engines in festivity. Some people were also seen sitting on cars and even popping off fireworks, and cars and motorcycles were seen traveling on the sidewalk in a few instances.
Fireworks 💥 outside @cbschicago during #mexicanindependenceday celebrations. pic.twitter.com/OPuOTDApcH
— ginger maddox (@gingermaddoxtv) September 17, 2022
People were also seen dancing in the middle of downtown streets, including Washington and Dearborn streets
A car caught fire at Wabash Avenue and Roosevelt Road just before 10 p.m., though it was not clear if this was related to the festivities.
Traffic was backed up around the downtown are area Friday night. A similar scene, though with relatively fewer cars, was seen on Thursday night.
Chicago Police earlier announced their plans to contain the crowds and control traffic.
With the holiday on Friday, police said they were working to make sure celebrations are safe – particularly people who wanted to drive in a car parade through the city, a longtime tradition in Chicago.