A popular downtown Merced tradition is in limbo after city officials blocked the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce from holding its planned Mercado Night Market dates, citing a street-closure ordinance that organizers say hasn’t stopped the event in the past.
The ordinance applies to any event or group that requires a street closure within city limits.
For several years, the Mercado Night Market brought vendors, families and foot traffic to downtown Merced for evenings of food, shopping and entertainment.
Now, organizers say they were unable to lock in their planned dates for the year because the city is enforcing a 1996 ordinance mandating a 60-day gap between overlapping events that require street closures within 800 feet of a recent closure.
City leaders say they are reviewing the rule for possible changes.
Nadine Villafana, president of the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said city staff told organizers in February that they could not hold the Mercados on their requested dates.
“We’ve never had any problem scheduling them,” she said. “Last year, we even scheduled all of them at once. I tried to do that this year, and they said they weren’t doing that.”
The Mercados are usually held on N Street downtown, with closures stretching from Main Street to 19th Street near the Tioga Apartments.
Previously, it was on Main Street, which caused major closures.
Villafana learned about the ordinance during a Mercado last year when an unnamed person approached her.
“There was an individual that wasn’t very happy that a lot of events were going on right there back to back,” she said.
The Chamber waited until last week to post about the issue on social media, Villafana said, because the first Mercado of the year was coming up.
The post drew about 30 comments, many from residents frustrated by the change.
In a public comment on the post, Merced Mayor Matthew Serratto said city officials were exploring changes to the ordinance.
“Hopefully … can approve an amended ordinance that allows for regular Mercados and other wonderful events – while simultaneously avoiding the negative impacts of excessive street closures,” Serratto wrote on Facebook. “Please feel free to come visit us at a Council meeting to share your thoughts.”
City rule forces Mercado organizers to scramble
City officials denied all the dates she had planned for the Mercado this year, Villafan said, since they overlapped with other events that would close the streets within the 60-day window.
“That’s why we’re trying to figure out where we’re gonna move it to,” she said. “I’m talking to the county right now to see if we can have it at the Veterans Park by the old courthouse.”
City of Merced spokesperson Jennifer Flachman said the ordinance in question has been in effect since 1996 and is part of the city’s special-event and street-closure rules.
Under the ordinance, the city requires permits for street closures of up to 48 hours and restricts closures within 800 feet of a location that has been closed during the past 60 days.
City officials will focus on consistently applying the ordinance to all downtown street closures, Flachman said, but the rule applies citywide.
“City Council is currently reviewing the ordinance to consider potential updates that better reflect the needs of the community, downtown businesses, and event organizers,” she said.
The city is working to apply the ordinance as written, Flachman said, while “coordinating with event organizers on alternative options, including the use of Bob Hart Square, which is now open to host events, as well as other rentable city facilities.”
Bob Hart Square was initially an option without any street closures, Villafana said, but organizers dropped the idea when they realized the smaller space would shrink the event.
“I’d rather not make it smaller because we have a lot of vendors that like to come,” she said. “We can get up to 80.”
Their busiest Mercados can attract up to 2,000 visitors.
“A lot of people come and enjoy it,” Villafana said. “I definitely don’t want to stop them. It brings business to downtown.”
Other cities could get smaller Mercado events
Some comments on the Chamber’s Facebook post pointed out that the Chamber serves the entire county and that the events could be hosted in other cities.
“Main Street Downtown Livingston would welcome the Mercado Nights,” commented Livingston Mayor Jose Moran.
Villafana said she is looking into ways to incorporate other cities in Merced County.
“I was gonna talk to the board about doing extra ones,” she said. “I thought that would be pretty neat if we could take it to other (cities).”
The city of Merced has always been supportive of the Mercados, and Villafana said she believes a resolution will come at some point.
“We partner with them when we do have them,” she said. “I know that some in the city council want something to happen. I know something is going to happen, but it’s going to take time. I need to plan my Mercados now.”