Naperville and Patzcuaro, Mexico, to Become Sister Cities

The city of Patzcuaro, Mexico will officially become the City of Naperville's second Sister City at a Saturday, November 13th signing and flag raising ceremony. The public is welcome to attend the ceremony scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Naperville Municipal Center lobby, located at 400 S. Eagle St. Refreshments and music will be provided after the program at a reception for dignitaries, community leaders, residents and friends.

The City of Naperville and its Sister Cities Commission will host an eight-member delegation from Patzcuaro, including Mayor Antonio Garcia Velazquez, City Manager Gilberto S. Garza Falcon and economic and industrial development officials. The event will also feature representatives from the Mexican Consulate General's office in Chicago. The dignitaries will spend Friday, November 12 visiting with city leaders and touring historic sites, schools, Naper Settlement and the Police and Fire departments.

Patzcuaro was chosen as the city's second Sister City from a list of candidate cities that were evaluated with a scoring system and placed on a readiness chart. Key drivers in the process were leadership, cultural and mutual understanding benefits, distance and ease of travel.

Patzcuaro was chosen in part because of its similarities to Naperville, including its strong emphasis on primary, secondary and higher education, its honor of history and the arts, a strong and growing economy and ease of transportation. The purpose of the Sister Cities relationship is to encourage cultural exchange between the two communities and establish lasting educational and economic ties.