A monthly community market celebrating the food, arts and culture of New Brunswick and its diverse Latino community
Visit Mercado Esperanza
The Mercado Esperanza is a showcase for local New Brunswick vendors and a fun family event in the style of a Latin American plaza. Come visit us to taste, see, and hear New Brunswick’s diverse Latino culture!
Our market events feature local food and craft vendors, entertainers, musicians, children’s activities, and more! The Mercado is a place of community and has something for everyone. Mercado Esperanza events take place at either Joyce Kilmer Park or War Memorial Park in New Brunswick. Please check the location details for each Mercado date.
Know that when you shop at a Mercado event, your purchases directly support local micro-enterprises, with 100% of the profits going to our vendors.
Whether you are visiting our community for the first time or have been a longtime resident, we look forward to welcoming you at the Mercado Esperanza!
Our Vendors
Do you want to vend at our next Mercado?
The Mercado Esperanza supports local, emerging entrepreneurs who want to generate income as they share their talents and products with the community. Our main sales opportunity is our Mercado Esperanza Market, but regular vendors may also have access to additional sales opportunities throughout the year.
Saul & Anel Jauregui
Meet Saul & Anel Jauregui. They have participated in the Mercado since the beginning of 2019. Saul started by selling natural juices and then mangonadas. They decided to sell natural [...]
Abigail Bernardino
Meet Abigail Bernardino, who has participated in the Mercado since May 2019 with her brothers Felipe de Jesús and Ricardo Bernardino. Since the beginning of the Mercado, Abigail has been [...]
Angelica Osorio
"My greatest satisfaction is providing good customer service." Angelica Osorio has participated in the Mercado since April 2019. She prepares chocomiles, a well known snack among the Mercado community and [...]
Maria Bravo
Meet Maria Bravo with her brand "Maria and the Three Princesses." The name of her brand represents Maria’s three daughters who come to support her at every Mercado. She comments, [...]
Sara Vidal
Meet Sara Vidal or better known as "the queen of the elotes." Since the launch of the Mercado, Sara began by selling elotes. As a result, people came to expect [...]
Olga & Teresa Fernandez
Teresa and Olga Fernández, known as the Fernandez Sisters began to participate in the Mercado in May 2018. Since then, they have worked together sharing with us their delicious quesadillas [...]
Lisandra Cruz
Lisandra Cruz, also known as Chef Cruz, established her brand "Sabor Taíno” in July 2018, indicating a mixture of the authentic flavor of the Taínos of Puerto Rico and Venezuela. [...]
Gaudencio Ferrer
Almost everyone is familiar with at least some traditional and artisanal Mexican food but have you tried a Tepache? Meet Gaudencio Ferrer, who since May 2019 has been sharing this [...]
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About the Mercado
The Mercado Esperanza is a community-led initiative sponsored by Elijah’s Promise, New Brunswick Tomorrow, and coLAB Arts. Building on previous work in the areas of healthy food access, neighborhood development, and creative placemaking, the three partners embarked on a planning process in 2016 – with support from the Kresge Foundation’s FreshLo initiative – to determine how to integrate and scale up these efforts for greater community impact.
The Mercado Esperanza was born in late 2017 after a year of planning and dialogue with local residents and other stakeholders, and embarked on the first full season in 2018. Along the way, the Friends of the Mercado group was created with resident leaders from New Brunswick Tomorrow’s Esperanza Neighborhood Project to act as a project steering committee. They, together with our core vendors group, continue to give direction to the project and work alongside organizational staff to continually make our collective vision of the Mercado Esperanza a reality: a vibrant community gathering place, a springboard for local entrepreneurial success, and a creative cultural celebration.
The Mercado Institute: Art. Food. Community.
Mercado Institute is a project of Mercado Esperanza bringing art and food directly to your home. This project was developed through the Mercado Esperanza, a partnership between coLAB Arts, Elijah’s Promise and New Brunswick tomorrow fostering food entrepreneurship and creative placemaking in the Esperanza Neighborhood.
What is the Institute?
1) Student Art Workshops
Any families who have middle, high school, or college aged students in their household can register them for the arts distribution and workshop program. Participating students will receive weekly deliveries of art supplies and a schedule of online live tutorials on how to create projects that speak to the energy, diversity, challenges, and hopes of the Mercado Esperanza community.
2) Meal Distribution
Families can register all household members to receive one weekly meal. Meals will be provided on Sunday afternoons. Participating vendors from the Mercado Esperanza will create these meals to be shared with our community, free of charge.
