Bazaars in Mazatlan: the rise of a generation of entrepreneurs

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In Mazatlan there are at least 16 bazaars; some are permanent and others are itinerant. Here we share the list of names and their main characteristics.

When we heard the word bazaar, the first thing that came to mind was a garage or a house full of used things, ready to be bought by whoever passed by. Traditional bazaars are like that, and they can even be located in the colonies or subdivisions of the port; They are of all kinds.

Within these, there are mainly household items, clothing, shoes, and some antiques. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, things changed, since with the increase in unemployment, this informal activity became an alternative to earn extra income that could help support many families.

For this reason, here we will mention the most important changes and features of the last two years, in addition to presenting a list of local bazaars.

Fernanda Magallanes, a journalist for the Punto MX portal, has followed up on the issue. She affirms that bazaars have always existed in Mazatlan, although the arrival of the pandemic served to bring them back with a greater boom and more force, and it is that every weekend it is quite common to locate one near where you are.

After participating in many of these events, Minerva Alballo, a young artisan who makes the “Auri” jewelry pieces, agrees with Magallanes when she assures that “there was a progressive increase in 2019 until March 2020. After that they increased again in the middle of the year. from 2021 onwards.”

Photos: Courtesy Bazar Central

This is how the locals began to go out and sell whatever they had at home, whatever their creativity, their hands and their economic possibilities gave them in order to generate a product that was to the liking of the people and above all, something that help generate income for their homes. A noteworthy fact is that both young and adult women have been the ones who have had the most participation in this type of trade.

Some of these spaces have become permanent and others are itinerant. In them you can find everything. Yes of all! There are from food, drinks, clothing, jewelry, care and beauty products, pots, a detail to give away, you will find what you least imagine there.

The sale of “zero waste” plants and products has gained space in the bazaars. Photo: Central Bazaar

Bazaars with a cause

Some of these events have been carried out under the concept of ‘bazaars with a cause’, because their purpose is to help a community in a situation of vulnerability, associations or civil organizations and mainly all those people who bet everything on entrepreneurship when they they were left with no alternatives.

In this sense, we can find the Sirenas Negras Collective, which held bazaars to collect donations in favor of the girls and adolescents of “Florecer IAP” in 2021. In May of this year, a collection of search tools and economic collection was carried out for the Collective of Tracking Mothers. In this way, artistic materials have also been obtained to bring workshops and cultural activities to various sectors of the municipality.

Another space with a purpose is the so-called Pink Market, whose organizers support Amigos de los Salvajes by collecting food for dogs and cats, as well as responsible adoptions. Not to mention the MZT Collective, who together with the Artisans Collective and Luciérnaga Interaction collected toys, clothing and footwear for children from the Mármol community for Children’s Day.

As we can see, the bazaars not only represent the economic income of a family, they have also become a whole network of community support.

Others, such as the Naturalist Fair, mix the concept of a bazaar with workshops and activities related to environmental education.

Photos: Black Mermaids Bazaar.

handmade and natural

Many of the products that are offered in these commercial spaces are made manually in allusion to the artisanal, natural and organic, as a way to reduce the ecological footprint.

The circular economy has also been present, Bazar Central, for example, began as a group of national entrepreneurs dedicated to the sale of second-hand clothing to promote a more sustainable consumption of fashion. Shortly after, local artisans, designers and entrepreneurs joined.

“Our approach is to offer national products that are responsible with the Earth and at the same time develop a community interested in caring for the planet,” says Grecia Ochoa, its founder.

This is how in this entrepreneurial trend there is also room for sustainability.

There is also room for illustration and design. The image shows the work of the illustrator Ale de la Selva during a bazaar organized by Socixl. Photo: courtesy.

Agenda

Claudia García, an activist from the Sirenas Negras Collective and organizer of various bazaars, mentions that these types of markets are usually set up on weekends, preferably on dates close to the “fortnight” or festivities, as well as during season changes. Locations may vary.

In general, you can find them on Saturdays and Sundays between 1:00 am and 10:00 pm; Most of them are held in old houses, restaurants, bars and cafes in the Historic Center, as well as public parks located at the height of the boardwalk, that is, spaces that present a greater reach of local people and tourists. However, they have also begun to organize themselves in housing centers.

BAZAARS IN MAZATLAN

Girls Bazar
Hijas de la Luna
Meraki
Bazar de las Brujas
Espacio Azul
Espacio Local
Tropicalia
Amarillo Bazar
Vilo Bazar
Espacio Local
Fhova
Mercado Rosa
Tianguis Escobedo
Morritxs Bazar
Bazar Central
Feria Naturalista
Alquimia Bazar

The bazaars have increased, but their organization and promotion strategies have also improved, which is carried out on social networks, mainly Instagram. At the same time, the acceptance by the Mazatlan population is greater.

Source: sonplayas.com

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