22nd annual Mercado de Paz November 25-26
Black Friday is the busiest shopping day in the United States, during which many bustle to department stores to doggedly hunt bargains for cheaply made, mass-produced goods. Instead of crowding into jam-packed malls with consumers looking to beat everyone to the deal, join us at Esperanza’s 22nd Annual Mercado de Paz (Peace Market.) Beginning Friday, November 25th through Saturday, November 26th the two-day, free admission Mercado will be open from 10 am to 6 pm at the Esperanza Center at 922 San Pedro, just north of downtown. Admission is free!
The Mercado provides an alternative by hosting local and visiting artisans and merchants, offering shoppers handcrafted gifts centered around themes of peace, social justice, cultural diversity and ecological concerns.
The Mercado is not only a place to buy quality goods, but a space to come together as a community, as global citizens and conscientious consumers, supporting talented artists and creating a family-friendly environment while honoring the world-wide tradition of open-air markets. The products at the Peace Market are unique, hand crafted artesania from diverse cultures, as artists from around the globe are invited annually to present and sell their community’s wares. This year, nearly 100 vendors will offer their wares and the opportunity to support individual artists and their communities.
In addition to a wide variety of artesania, delicious refreshments will be available and Esperanza will be holding an hourly raffle for beautiful goods donated by the artists. Not to mention musical and other performances by local artists! Over 7,000 shoppers came together just last year to make a difference—come share the experience with us.
The Esperanza Peace & Justice Center is located one-half mile north of the downtown library on San Pedro and at Evergreen, across from the VIA offices. For more information, see www.esperanzacenter.org.
