El Mercadito de Centro

Centro Hispano is a nonprofit organization that’s been serving Latinos in Dane County since 1983. As the Hispanic population continues to grow in Wisconsin, Centro’s programs have expanded to strengthen families and engage the community. In 2015, under the leadership of Dr. Karen Menendez Coller, the staff sought a space where the community could gather, an event that families would look forward to every week. Food and family are at the center of Latino culture. History, connection to the land, and community are all critical factors the staff considered.

El Mercadito was an idea inspired by the staff’s visits to markets in their countries of origin, or family stories about these places for those staff members who were born here and have never visited their parents’ or grandparents’ home countries. Keeping traditions alive and passing them down to children is also an essential part of El Mercadito’s purpose. “I remember going to the market to hang out with my friends, gathering around food and entertainment for the whole family,” says Centro’s executive director Karen Menendez Coller of her memories of growing up in El Salvador.

Mercado is the Spanish word for market. El Mercadito translates to “The Little Market,” but don’t let the name imply that the space created here to connect the community is in any way small. In fact, having a space like El Mercadito in the Latino community is a big deal. Hispanics make up the largest minority group in Wisconsin and the fastest-growing minority group in Madison, yet the integration of the Latino community in large-scale events is rare.

Since its inception in 2015, El Mercadito has gone through numerous changes as Centro’s staff, volunteers, and community members have worked together to put the program in place. It runs almost year-round. In the warmer months, it’s set up outdoors in Centro’s front parking lot, and it moves indoors to their main lobby during fall and part of winter. On any given Wednesday afternoon, visitors can find about a dozen diverse vendors including farmers, producers, artisans and artists. Locally grown vegetables, handmade tortillas, handcrafted goods, honey and exotic fruits that don’t grow in Wisconsin (imported directly from Mexico) are what to expect at the market. Also, a wide variety of traditional dishes including moles, tamales, street corn, tacos, mangonadas (a sweet and spicy frozen treat) and more. Karen says, “El Mercadito is a labor of love and persistence, and you can sense that from the moment you walk in.” The planning and organization of the program depend on volunteers. Centro can’t have a dedicated staff for the market, but they are all very passionate about it and spend whatever time they can coordinating community volunteers to help. As the market keeps growing, Centro continues to explore the idea of partnering with other organizations with shared values that could provide more support. They are currently partnering with Roots 4 Change, a cooperative of community health workers and doulas that emerged from collaborations and community services through Centro Hispano. They continue their desire to expand that reach. “Beautiful things can happen when the community comes together,” Karen says.

Communities of color are predominantly more affected by food insecurities due to socioeconomic challenges and racial disparities. Having a program like El Mercadito means a lot more than food access to the Latino community. It is a space like no other in the city where families gather together and experience a full cultural connection with food. El Mercadito was paused in 2020 because of the pandemic. It is essential for the community to have this space back but keeping everyone safe is a priority. It will depend on vaccination rates and changes to other safety requirements from the health department and the county, but Centro’s staff has high hopes to have the market back sometime this year. The start date for the 2021 season has not been announced yet—follow Centro Hispano on social media for updates!

Once the doors are open, visitors are welcome to experience the lively environment of the market, full of pleasant aromas, flavors, vibrant colors and music. It’s a party for all the senses. El Mercadito is a space for the Latino community to feel at home, but all are welcome to immerse in the culture and connect with our community right here, on the south side of the city.