The mariachi band played Mexican songs as the smell of food wafted through the air at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine.
Vendors lined the parking lot Sept. 15 for its Mercado de Independencia, or Independence Market, at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, 1508 W. Magnolia Ave.
“Right after the pandemic, both restaurants and artists were both kind of struggling, so we saw that being here in a cultural district, we commingled a lot, and brought people together,” said Francisco “Paco” Islas, the owner of Paco’s. “It’s good for all of us from a business standpoint, but it’s also good for the community to actually come out and support each one of these businesses.”
A mural of painter Frida Kahlo can be seen on exterior wall of Islas Tropical, a dessert shop, 1500 W. Magnolia Ave. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Handcrafted earrings are for sale at the Mercado de Independencia, or Independence Market, on Sept. 15 at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A water bottle with famous artist Bad Bunny is for sale at the Mercado de Independencia, or Independence Market, on Sept. 15 at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A vendor sells earrings at the Mercado de Independencia, or Independence Market, on Sept. 15 at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A Mexican blouse is on display at the Mercado de Independencia, or Independence Market, on Sept. 15 at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Vendor Artes by the Andes sells alpaca figurines made with real alpaca fur imported from Peru at the Mercado de Independencia, or Independence Market, on Sept. 15 at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Vendor Artes by the Andes sells nativity scenes made and imported from Peru at the Mercado de Independencia, or Independence Market, on Sept. 15 at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Handcrafted bags are on sale by Artes by the Andes at the Mercado de Independencia, or Independence Market, on Sept. 15 at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. The merchandise is made by Peruvians and imported from Peru. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
An alpaca plushie is on sale at the Mercado de Independencia, or Independence Market, on Sept. 15 at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. The plushie is made with real alpaca fur. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
The Mercado de Independencia hosted artists, a mariachi band, live music and business owners with the goal of bringing everyone together as a community, Islas said.
Rocio Aguilar, the owner of Artes by the Andes, sold embroidered bags, nativity scenes and plushies made of real alpaca wool shipped straight from the Andes Mountains in Peru.
“This represents the Andes of Peru,” Aguilar said. “Any stuffed animal here is made of alpaca. It’s super soft.”
Her merchandise benefits the communities in Peru that she receives from. Once a year, she travels to Peru to pick up merchandise and give back to the community.
“It’s a group of about 800 women. They are all artisans. They mainly work harvesting and in fields, but they sew and make these things to help their families,” Aguilar said in Spanish. “What their government doesn’t give them is utensils, so we take and donate that to them. We want to keep working and collaborating with that community in Peru.”
Aguilar was one of many vendors who sold imported merchandise. Across from Aguilar, Miriam Astorga sold merchandise imported from across the Mexican republic at her Puerta Del Sol Imports table.
Islas said he plans on hosting four different mercados, or markets, a year: Mexican Independence Day, on Sept. 16; Cinco de Mayo, on May 5; el Día de los Muertos, on Nov. 1; and el Dia de los Reyes Magos, on Jan. 6.
“Here in the United States, I think Cinco de Mayo is a lot more popular and a lot more recognized, and most people don’t really know what the 16th of September is,” Islas said. “That’s our actual Mexican Independence Day and being able to share that and say, ‘This is why we’re doing this event and bring a little more light to it.’”
Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by email or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, by following our guidelines.
