Elgin's Cinco de Mayo celebration still on

The H1N1 scare has canceled classes, shelved sports and torpedoed Chicago's Cinco de Mayo celebration at Navy Pier.

But Elgin leaders had absolutely no intention of calling off its Cinco de Mayo festival, which kicks off today and drew an estimated 10,000 people last year.

Tonya Hudson, executive director of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, which organizes and funds the event, said pulling the plug because of swine flu fears was never considered.

Organizers will have plenty of hand sanitizer available and are urging people to stay home if they don't feel well.

The organization has been sponsoring Cinco de Mayo activities since 2004, but last year was the first full-blown celebration with a parade and carnival.

The parade was dropped because of poor participation, but Hudson says sponsorships and vendors are up this year.

"Even in the down economy, the festival is growing," she said. "That tells me we're providing a great venue for people."

The event begins at 5 p.m. today with a carnival only at Kimball Street and North Grove Avenue. The carnival is joined by live music, kids activities and food vendors Friday through Sunday.

One highlight is the "Reina Por Un Dia" (Queen for a Day) contest on Sunday. It's a raffle drawing for moms who attend. Kids may enter their mom as many times as they want in the drawing.

One reason Chicago called off its celebration was because performers were flying in from Mexico.

With Elgin, all the performers are local, Hudson said.

For a full lineup of events, visit downtownelgin.com or call (847) 488-1456.

Meanwhile, it seems as if people are being cautious, but not panicky about the flu.

Jaime Garcia, executive director for Centro de Informacion, said his group is distributing information about the flu to clients who call or show up for assistance about jobs and immigration services.

The phone is far from ringing off the hook, which is somewhat surprising for Garcia.

"We're taking it a day at a time to see where this is going to lead," he said, noting his staff is using extra hand sanitizer and standing at least three feet away from clients. "It's going to be handled more on the level of schools. Children are the ones most affected."