It all kicks off with an opening celebration featuring live music, food vendors and local collaborations on Friday, May 22 at 5:15 p.m.
MOLINE, Ill. — Mercado on Fifth will celebrate its 10th season this summer! It all kicks off with an opening celebration featuring live music, food vendors, cultural performances and collaborations with neighboring businesses in downtown Moline.
The nonprofit Latino cultural market and small business incubator will open its milestone season from 5-10 p.m. on Friday, May 22.
Executive Director Frances Williams said the anniversary marks a major milestone for the organization, which began in 2016 and has since grown into one of the Quad Cities’ largest cultural attractions.
“I think the overwhelming response is, ‘How did that time go by so fast?’” Williams said. “Here we are, and it’s such a beautiful community asset and anchor here in Moline.”
Opening night will include four bands on the main stage, acoustic patio performances, food vendors, artisan retailers and a ceremonial celebration recognizing supporters and community partners.
“It’s gonna be like Mercado on steroids,” Williams said.
The entertainment lineup includes Tamborazo La Magdalena, Los Sembradores del Norte, Crooked Cactus Band and Grupo Innstinto.
Mercado on Fifth officials said the market continues to focus on supporting Latino entrepreneurs and small businesses by offering a space to test products and build customer bases. Vendors this season will include food stands, handcrafted goods sellers and retailers offering imported cultural products.
“There’s gotta be in the hundreds now,” Williams said of the entrepreneurs Mercado has supported over the past decade. “It was all started with a simple premise of, ‘Hey, give the person the opportunity and let’s see what they do.’”
Williams said several businesses that started at Mercado have since opened brick-and-mortar locations.
“The fact that Mercado creates a space where those entrepreneurs can experiment every Friday and people are open to trying, it’s amazing,” she said.
As part of the anniversary celebration, Lagomarcino’s will debut a special spicy sea salt caramel truffle flight created exclusively for Mercado’s opening night.
Katie Lagomarcino Otten said the treats include a scorpion sea salt caramel and a spicy dulce de leche truffle packaged with custom Mercado-themed designs.
“They’re amazing. They’re super good,” Lagomarcino Otten said.
Mercado also partnered with Bent River Brewing Co. to create tamarind-inspired beers for the season opener. Williams said one beer features a wheat base with tamarind flavor, while another includes pineapple and mango.
“We really wanted to start off with having an authentic Latin flavor like tamarindo,” Williams said.
Organizers said Mercado on Fifth has drawn more than 101,000 visitors over the past two years.
“We just want to continue to be another cultural anchor, another attraction for people, especially as we get into the summer season and bringing and attracting people into the Quad Cities,” Williams said.
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