LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- National Hispanic American Heritage Month has started and the city of Los Angeles kicked things off with an El Grito festival downtown.
Friday's festival featured food vendors, free live music, a silent disco and other activities at City Hall and Gloria Molina Grand Park. Some 10,000 people showed up for the festivities.
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"We are asking the community to come and support, and buy from the community - we all buy from each other - we have become a community that supports," said Diana Diaz, founder of Goddess Mercado. "We share ideas and we are here for El Grito."
Hispanic Heritage Month starts in mid-September in honor of El Grito, or the Cry of Dolores, the 1810 event that launched the Mexican War of Independence.