On Friday, Sept. 19, the Mercado on Fifth hosted its weekly outdoor market in Moline, Illinois. Augustana College offered free tickets and transportation to the event for students, making it accessible to the campus community.
This event was the penultimate Mercado on Fifth of their weekly summer series. The market provides a platform for local Latin vendors while spotlighting Latin culture for the Quad Cities community.
The highlight of the evening was the live music provided by local Latin band La Ambición Norteña. They played an hour-long set that was met with traditional dancing from the attendees.
After their performance, Gabriel Albarran, one of the founding members of the band, spoke about the importance of Mercado.
“I think, as of right now, with ICE, everybody is a little bit scared. Everybody’s scared to get deported. But I do feel like at Mercado, it’s brought a lot of people together and given them a safe place to come,” Albarran said. “Performing music is my whole life, and to play here at Mercado in front of hundreds of people, it’s the best.”
After Mercado concluded and Augustana sophomore Alany Argueta finished dancing, she noted that there were less people this year compared to last year and fewer stands set up.
“I feel that some people are finding it harder to express our culture, especially with the current immigration issues,” Argueta said. “[Mercado] allows us to keep dancing, keep spreading our food and keep spreading our music. It allows us to come together as a community and not be afraid to embrace our culture.”
Despite the decline in attendance, Argueta said this love of culture is what keeps Mercado alive. She is also doing her part on campus to continue the celebration of Hispanic culture during Hispanic Heritage Month by co-organizing “Rodeo Night” on campus Sept. 27. The event will feature a mechanical bull, a taco truck, antojitos and a live band.
Events like Rodeo Night highlight how these celebrations extend beyond community gatherings such as Mercado, and carry that spirit of cultural pride into campus life.
Sophomore Nadia Chavez, a member of the Multicultural Programming Board Committee, said the accessibility of the free bus transportation allows students to experience community off-campus.
“It’s a home away from home. It’s important for students that are coming from Latin backgrounds… it pushes me to highlight my culture and showcase it, appreciate it and it allows me to inform other students about it, “ Chavez said.
This showcase of culture was on full display last Friday. There were food trucks with all varieties of street tacos and vendors with everything from fresh-squeezed lemonade, to pancakes, waffles and shaved ice. Additionally, there were local sellers vending graphic tee shirts, children’s toys from Mexico, handmade jewelry, Mexican candy and a variety of soccer jerseys from teams around the world.
The final Mercado on Fifth of this summer series will take place Friday, Sept. 26, from 5 to 10 p.m.