The artisan market “First Friday: Vol 2” took place at Market Square in Downtown Brownsville on August 5th for the second time after coming to a halt due to the pandemic.
Having been shut down for some time, Downtown Manager Allen Garces hopes to reinstate the event as a year round community event.
“The business owners and the City of Brownsville got together and we got funding for this event, ideally we are all looking from nine to ten “First Fridays” throughout the year”, Garces said.
The initiative to reestablish the event came from local business owners and was organized by them with the help of Allen Garces. “It is important to know that this is a downtown [business] owner initiative and the city is just backing them up”, Garces said.
First Friday is a big enough event to bring the community together, and it proves to show that the city looks to gain no profit from the vendors. For that reason, none of the booths were charged a fee to be there.
The city commission looks to have downtown revitalized, and it is stressed that the event is local, to help the locals, Garces said.
Not only are these events held to bring the community together and better recognition for downtown Brownsville, but they are a direct source of income to many small business owners.
“I don’t have a store business so how I make my business, my money, is with these markets”, local RGV small business owner Gisela Flores said.
Flores owns a small shop called Heartwood Jewelry where she custom makes orders out of resin or wood, such as coasters, studs, earrings and keychains.
She, like other business owners, relies on these events to sell their products and expose them to the public. Although not everyone present will buy something from the businesses, the exposure and appreciation alone helps them stay motivated, Flores said.
The event had a wide range of attendants, ranging from children to older citizens. Activities for them to do according to their ages including games free-of-charge children could play, and an opportunity at night life for those old enough to drink were available.
Even though very few food vendors were at the pop-up event, bars around the area participated, keeping their doors open till 2 a.m. and letting attendees bar-hop.
To find more information, visit the BTX Downtown First Friday Facebook page.
This is Silvana Villarreal for Vaquero Radio
