With the month of September coming to a close, the MSA Annex is holding their last Summer Night Market of 2021 on Sept. 24.
An expansion of the Mercado San Agustin, the MSA Annex located at 267 South Avenida del Convento is a shopping and eatery complex designed by Tucson architect Paul Weiner. Shops are located inside modified shipping containers which gives the space a modern look.
The area is popular for locals and tourists alike looking to support local businesses. Each store within the Annex is individually operated, but for the second year in a row, the complex will come together to host Summer Night Market.
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The event takes place on the last Friday of the summer months, May through September from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Additional local vendors place pop-up shops around the venue to feature their goods, while most of the shops stay open, even extending their hours through the night.
Bloom Maven is a boutique flower and plant shop that stays open after its closing hours specifically for the Summer Night Market. Akiko Senda, the owner of Bloom Maven, said that the event is “community-focused because it’s all local makers and shops. … I think it’s a very supportive environment.”
MESA is another MSA Annex shop that chooses to extend its hours until 10 p.m. for the market. Andy Littleton, the owner and manager of MESA, said that they have seen an increase in sales because of the Summer Night Market.
“We see local artisans and vendors, even some whose products we sell. We feel like we win when they win,” Littleton said.
Littleton also said that the nighttime markets have been “a critical component for all of us during the summer,” as a way to get customers outside and shop during the sweltering Tucson summers.
Admission to the Summer Night Market is free, but the vendors and restaurants offer their products and goods for purchase.
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Emily Hripak, a bartender at a bar on-site called Westbound, said that the market “brings a really good crowd down to the Annex.”
“It’s just generally a really positive thing to give local creative businesses an outlet to reach a new customer base,” Hripak said.
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