It is parade time again in Sandy Valley. Saturday, September 16th Sandy Valley will turn out to celebrate Día de la Independencia.

Sandy Valley's Roman Catholic Church, Saint Catherine of Siena, is sponsoring the parade and party with the help of other local churches, civic organizations, community members and businesses.

The parade and party honors Rev. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and the small town of Delores who proclaimed independence from Spain on September 16, 1810.

The head figure and chief instigator of the Mexican Independence movement was Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the parish priest of the small town of Dolores. Soon after becoming a priest, Hidalgo began to promote the idea of an uprising by the native and mixed-blood peasantry against wealthy Spanish land-owners and aristocrats. He realized the need for diversification of industrial activities in an area that had the mines of Guanajuato as its major business. At the same time, during his seven years at Dolores, Hidalgo promoted discussion groups at his house, where indígenas, mestizos, criollos, and peninsulares were all welcomed. The themes of these discussions were current events, to which Hidalgo added his own input of social and economic concerns. The independence movement was born out of these informal discussions and was directed against Spanish domination of political and economic life in New Spain. (from Wikipedia)

At noon the parade will start at the Idle Spurs and progress down Quartz Avenue towards the community center. Emperors Maximilian and napoleon will appear in a float as targets for taco powdered eggs. Everyone is invited to participate in the parade and party. Following the parade there will be refreshments, music, dancing and a rodeo at the community center. Information providers are invited to have booths. Contact John & Beth Bacher at 723-1567 for more information. From Las Vegas call 1-702-723-1567.

Don't forget to leave a note in the forum and let everybody know what you are doing for the parade.