Mercado 2024 offering traditional market fare, special treats

Mercado on Fifth will celebrate Salsa Under the Stars on Moline’s Fifth Avenue this Friday, May 31, a week after menacing skies threatened but could not scuttle the popular Friday night market’s Season Eight opening day. Two predicted bands of storms created stress in the morning and cut into vendor setup times for a John […]

Mercado on Fifth will celebrate Salsa Under the Stars on Moline’s Fifth Avenue this Friday, May 31, a week after menacing skies threatened but could not scuttle the popular Friday night market’s Season Eight opening day. Two predicted bands of storms created stress in the morning and cut into vendor setup times for a John Deere-sponsored 2024 opening night that organizers said was “an absolute blast.” That successful launch in the face of unexpected challenges also has organizers and supporters predicting “unforgettable memories” during what many are hoping will be the best summer yet for the cultural open-air market held from 5 to 10 p.m. every Friday evening through Sept. 27. On tap in Season Eight for a venue that draws thousands each week to the Floreciente neighborhood are the market’s traditional fare of good food, merchandise, music and entertainment. But also in the spotlight this year is Mercado’s first-ever competitive tasting night and Lucha Libre, which will feature a full card of competitive wrestling. This year also will see a return of traditional favorites, such as tributes to Colombian Independence Day and Mexican Independence Day and the popular Día de los Muertos Parade. That’s according to  new Executive Director Frances Williams, a returning Moline native who took over Mercado’s top job in March, just months before season 2024 launched. “I’ve been spending a lot of time in the last few months just listening; listening to our vendors, listening to our team, listening to the community; and it is abundantly clear that Mercado is such an important part of our community,” she told the QCBJ. “It’s much bigger than the organization itself. It’s much bigger than any one person. It really belongs to the community and I feel it’s a very high responsibility and an honor to be a new steward for that mission.” Consider that Mercado averages about 3,100 attendees each night, but last year on three different Fridays the market reached or topped 10,000 in attendance, Ms. Williams said. 

More in 2024

The folks behind Mercado are shooting for even more in 2024. “I think the summer is going to be a really amazing experience for me, personally in learning, but also for our community to experience the thoughtfulness that was put into the event before I arrived, the entertainment that is being provided, every single piece of Mercado,” Ms. Williams said.

When Ms. Williams, who has spent her career promoting entrepreneurship, came on board, she said, “One of the biggest challenges was we had way more vendors than we had space for. We always want to give as many people opportunities as we can. I’m a three-time entrepreneur and I know the value that adding a level of success can bring and I want to elevate other people.” Due to the volume of 2024 vendor applications – around 60 – and event area capacity, this year’s vendors were evaluated on 21 different factors, including uniqueness of products offered, booth presentation and business growth indicators.  In all, Mercado leaders chose 46 entrepreneurs whom they hope will use the opportunity to expand their business horizons. Food offerings include Mexican favorites, Venezuelan empanadas, Honduran pupusas and traditional Oaxacan tamales. New items include freeze-dried candy and more. Artisanal products for sale feature items made by hand and gifts imported from other countries. Mercado also will give visitors the opportunity to view the works of up-and-coming Latino artists in its indoor community center. For many fans Mercado on Fifth is all about the music, and 2024 features a broad range of Latin genres, including Rock en español, salsa and crowd favorite banda music. “A lot of thought went into curating the bands that we're going to bring in at both a regional, international and local levels,” Ms. Williams said.

Sample Pegasso, Lucha Libre

The latter includes the popular Grupo Pegasso, a Mexican cumbia band. Pegasso represents the largest investment Mercado has made this year, Ms. Williams said of the group, which will fly in from Mexico City for their Aug. 2 appearance in Moline. Their music, she said, is “very well known with the Baby Boom generation” and Pegasso boasts a massive social media following. This year's wrestling night on June 14 also should be a crowd-pleaser. Ms. Williams said it promises to be a battle royale and it will decide who wears the Champion of Mercado crown. “We’ll give a true wrestling belt and there’s a lot of excitement,” Ms. Wiliams said. Mercado is partnering with SCWPro wrestling of Davenport and expected to compete are between 16-20 wrestlers some of whom will fly in for the match. For the first time ever, later that month, on June 28, Modern Woodmen of America will partner with Mercado to offer the Taste of Mercado. “This is a food tasting as well as a food competition,” Ms. Williams said. “So many times our guests come and maybe they stop at two or three food vendors and they never quite make it around, unless you’re coming every Friday,” Ms. Williams said. “Well, this is one event where someone can come and have a taste from every single one of our 20 or so food vendors.  For the price of admission – $5 for visitors over age 13 –  attendees can get a taste of what vendors are offering while vendors compete for a number of honors. They include Best Overall, Best Entree or main dish, Best Side Dish or Snack. Best Beverage and Best Salsa. “Everybody who pays an admission fee and comes into Mercado will be given a voting card that they can take around to the various food vendors,” Ms. Williams said. 

Take time to Plan your Visit

Another key addition this year is a new “Plan Your Visit” page “for people who maybe are from the Quad Cities but they’ve never been to Mercado or maybe they're from the region and they’re coming in,” Ms. Williams said. The page offers guidance on a variety of topics including what visitors can take into Mercado. For example, starting this year no backpacks will be allowed. “We just want to create that safe and stress-free environment where people can really enjoy the music and the dining, the shopping, and all those kinds of things.” The tool also provides information about parking in the area, including a map provided by the City of Moline that identifies available downtown parking. Visitors should beware, however. Those spaces “fill up quickly,” Ms. Williams warned, which is why Mercado is encouraging attendees to consider taking public transportation. She reminded fans that MetroLINK’s Moline Centre Station at 200 River Drive is only about a six-minute walk from Mercado.  Ms. Williams also encouraged attendees to ride their bikes. “Go green and do other things so you don’t have to deal with the hassle of parking and you can get in and out of downtown Moline easily.” Stay tuned for updates, including the musical lineup, on the Mercado on Fifth website at www.MercadoOnFifth.org, its social media channels, as well as posted event calendars throughout the area.