CHICAGO (WLS) — The Little Village Chamber of Commerce expects 400,000 participants in the Mexican Independence Day parade on Sunday.

Officials recommend arriving early and using public transport.

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The Mexican flag flew throughout the southwest Little Village neighborhood ahead of another weekend of Mexican Independence Day celebrations.

“I’m really proud of our town and how it embraces our community. And I’m also proud of the traditions and culture that we preserve from our parents and ancestors,” said Jennifer Aguilar, executive director of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce.

Aguilar said preparations are underway in the neighborhood for the annual Mexican Independence Day parade on 26th Street at noon Sunday.

The parade begins at the corner of 26th and Albany and ends at the corner of 26th and Kostner.

Aguilar said thousands of revelers are expected to attend the 53rd edition of the parade.

“The floats will represent a variety of Mexican traditions, such as Day of the Dead and soccer, so it will be a beautiful display,” Aguilar said.

Mexican Independence Day celebrations have always drawn crowds of people and cars to the city center.

Especially in the Loop, the celebrations sometimes spill over onto the streets and cause traffic to come to a standstill.

City emergency management officials said they have a plan in place to deal with unexpected traffic congestion that could be deployed if needed, including rolling road closures, access points for residents and workers in the Loop, and the use of police helicopters to monitor traffic flow.

“We have a brand new $11 million helicopter that we will use to monitor the entire downtown area from the air. If we see congestion building up, we can deploy those resources and start strategically closing exits and streets,” said 2nd District Councilman Brian Hopkins.

The city is preparing for the possibility of road closures in the areas pictured below. People who live or work downtown are asked to carry identification to be allowed through.

Officials also warn that access to highways could be closed.

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“The opportunity to celebrate in downtown Chicago is just incredibly important to the community. We are excited to be able to do this again after so many years,” said Korina Sanchez, organizer of the El Grito Festival.

Additionally, Grant Park will be transformed for the first-ever El Grito Festival. Over 12,000 people are expected to attend the family-friendly festival.

“One in five Chicagoans identify as Mexican or Mexican of Mexican descent, so why not celebrate where the tires meet the road, in downtown Chicago?” said Jaime Dipaulo, president of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Some visitors to the city say that this kind of atmosphere is the reason they come to Chicago.

“I love it! That’s why we come to the big city; to see big things, and this is big, the celebration of our wonderful Latin American friends,” said visitor Larry Christie.

The festival in Grant Park takes place on Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

On Saturday, admission is $10, with children under 10 admitted free. On Sunday, admission is free for everyone after 7 p.m.

Organizers hope that a structured celebration in the park will prevent unplanned street parties.

“This is not representative of our culture. Nowhere in the world do we do something like this in car convoys. I think this is bad for the people who are celebrating. This can’t be fun,” said German Gonzalez, co-chair of El Grito.

Organizers of the parade in Little Village said people come from all over for the huge parade, even from as far away as Texas and California.