Shoppers looking for an alternative to crowded malls and shopping centers will find a unique selection of gifts at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s 25th International Peace Market or Mercado de Paz, slated for Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29.
For the past 25 years, visitors and local patrons have gathered for the yearly sale, filling the Esperanza’s two story building, the back patio and spilling out into the adjacent street with vendor tents.
Esperanza spokesperson Itza Carbajal says over 100 international and local artisans will offer shoppers a variety of handmade items including rugs, pottery and textiles, clothing, paintings and sculptures.
The Peace Market will feature artwork from the Mexican states of Chiapas, Chihuahuas, Hidalgo, Michoacan, Puebla, Veracruz as well as artists from El Salvador, Kenya, Colombia, and Bolivia.
In the past 25 years, Esperanza has sponsored over 60 international artists. This year’s market will feature master artisans Irene Aguilar, Teresa Lopez Jimenez, and Veronica Quiroz among others.
Musical performances will fill the air from the Mercado de Paz’s performance stage. Food, from chicken mole to split pea soup, and refreshments will be available.
The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro, presents the Mercado de Paz on Friday and Saturday, November 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free admission. For more information call Itza Carbajal at 210-228-0201.
