Tulum's Independence parade jumped from 15 contingents to 25 in a single year

The Tulum Independence Day parade put 3,200 people on the city's main avenues Tuesday, marching in 25 contingents from 18 schools and institutions, ahead of the Grito the town hall scheduled for the same night.

The figures come from the Ayuntamiento de Tulum. Set against last year's parade, one change is easy to measure. The contingents went from 15 to 25.

That turnout is large for this town. The 2020 census counted 46,721 people in the whole municipality, and while Tulum has grown since, 3,200 marchers still equals roughly one person in 15 by that count. The parade also moved to the same day as the Grito, a break from last year's calendar.

The Tulum Independence Day parade drew public and private schools

The 18 participating groups combined public schools, private schools and municipal institutions, according to the town hall's statement. It did not publish their names or break the 3,200 figure down by school.

Residents and tourists along the route watched choreographed routines and students in green, white, and red uniforms, the municipality said.

The Ayuntamiento said the program follows instructions from Mayor Diego Castañón Trejo and presents the month's events to build civic culture and give families a public space to gather. Its statement credits the students and institutions that marched with keeping the tradition alive.

Ten more contingents

Last September's parade, under the same administration, had 15 contingents, 12 of them from schools in the municipal seat, according to the town hall's 2025 figures as reported by several regional outlets. This year's count is 25.

The headcounts are harder to line up. In 2025, the municipality reported 1,940 students in the school contingents and listed DIF staff, municipal police, and the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional separately, without numbers attached. The 2026 statement gives one combined figure, 3,200, for all 18 schools and institutions, and names no military unit.

Tulum has fielded crowds this size before. For the Revolution Day parade in November 2024, the municipality counted 3,127 students from 17 schools.

Last year, the parade waited until the 16th

In 2025, Tulum marched on September 16, the day after the Grito. This year's statement places the parade on the same day as the ceremony, and it gives no reason for the change.

The larger cities keep the traditional date. Cancún's civic-military parade steps off Wednesday at 8 a.m. in front of its municipal palace, and the national parade in Mexico City leaves the Zócalo at 10 a.m.

Super Lamas and Sonora Santanera Nueva Generación play the Grito

The Grito reenacts the call Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla made in Dolores in the early hours of September 16, 1810, when he rang the parish bell and began the war that culminated in Mexican independence in 1821. Town halls across the country repeat it on the night of the 15th. This year marks the 216th anniversary.

Tulum pairs the ceremony with two tropical acts, according to the Ayuntamiento. Sonora Santanera Nueva Generación performs under the name of the band founded in 1955 by trumpeter Carlos Colorado Vera. Super Lamas has been on regional event listings for Tulum for at least two weeks, touring as Tour 45 A Sangre y Fuego, and one listing places the show at the esplanade of the municipal palace.

Up the coast, Cancún booked Lucero and Mijares for its Grito, and Playa del Carmen booked Sin Bandera.

Wednesday, September 16, is a federal rest day. Banks and government offices close.

The town hall's statement names the performers but gives no start time for tonight's ceremony. Anyone heading downtown on September 15 should check the Ayuntamiento de Tulum's official channels first.

Did your school or your family march in this year's parade, or will you be at the Grito tonight? Join the conversation and share your perspective with us on Instagram and Facebook at @thetulumtimes.