Tomorrow March 31st is the actual birthday of Cesar Chavez, but since this is the closest Monday to that day we are celebrating the official state holiday in California as well as the City of Sacramento today.

Cesar Estrada Chavez (March 31, 1927 - April 23, 1993) was a Mexican American farm worker and civil rights activist who helped found the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers.  His work helped improve the working conditions for union laborers and his birthday has become a state holiday in eight states including California.  The holiday is celebrated with government office closings as well as festivals and parades in some places. 

Here in Sacramento we have also shown our respect for Mr. Chavez by naming a park in his honor.  Cesar Chavez Park is located at 901 J Street, Sacramento, Ca 95857, and is a small green oasis in downtown Sacramento that is often used by musicians for performing and in season hosts a Farmer’s Market.

On Saturday more than 700 people participated in a march to honor Cesar Chavez that wound from Southside Park past the Capitol and ended appropriately in Cesar Chavez Park across from City Hall.  Parade organizers said the theme of the parade was “Freedom, Justice, and Equality for All”, which is what Chavez stood for when representing the farm workers he worked so hard to organize.

Cesar Chavez Park