Our Mexican Imports at the Fair!

Feliz 2022 Minnesota State Fair About 9years ago I had a small El Burrito Mercadohttp://www.elburritomercado.com business inside http://www.midtownglobalmarket.com and an opportunity emerged from there with the State Fair to have a booth featuring our imported items de Mexico and since then we have been gratefully featuring artesania in the #internationalbazar

My mother, Maria Silva, started Maria’s Imports Shop on Grand Ave where she started our Mexico import business in the early 1990s. And when we moved our mercado location from 195 Concord Street across the street to 175 Cesar Chavez Street (the old Henly’s Furniture building) in 1995, we moved the shop into our mercado. And for several years now I have had the blessing and privilege to carry on the imports business. Every year I go on a buying trip to Mexico for our artesania, my mother established relationships with over 50 vendors and I’m so proud to carry on those relationships. Mexico is my happy place, Mexico is in my heart, Mexico is my pride and joy and it’s my passion. The imports business isn’t just about sales transactions, it’s deeper for me, it’s personal. It’s about giving business to Mexican artesanos, it’s about carrying on my mother’s vision, it’s about featuring and showcasing our culture in Minnesota, it’s about representing my heritage, our art, and hopefully in the process bringing people a deeper understanding of the Mexican culture ultimately fostering honor and respect. The items you see in the booth and in our mercado arent’ just art and gifts, there’s history behind each item and there are special individuals that create them and sell them, many are family businesses. They are very special to me. I’m proud that we feature items that are the old school traditional artesania each handmade so no two pieces are ever exactly the same, and others are made with more modern technology still creatively designed by young Mexican artists evolving their version of artesania into modern Mexican art, and I personally have mad respect for them all!

Unfortunately the past two years due to the pandemic I have been unable to do my buying trip in person which has been quite the challenge since only about a handful of the artists are online. I look forward to shopping in person for 2023, and in spite of not shopping in person this year, with lots of photos and whatsapp communication, I was able to place an order which brought us new, modern art as well as beautiful, traditional artesania like talavera, textiles embroidery, religious items and more! You can find all our items both at our mercado on Cesar Chavez Street and at our booth in International Bazar MN State Fair August 25-September 5.

We are so grateful to our team that helps us get everything ready for the fair. We receive pallets of artesania, it takes a lot of time to open all the boxes, unwrap, go through catalog pricing and merchandise it! HUGE shout out to the people that do all the hands on work to make this happen! Over the years we’ve had many helpers including my daughters, nephew, their friends unpacking pallets of boxes, Denisea Elsola was pioneer with us in the first years at the fair and for many years was our display specialist. And for the past two years, Lolo (an interior decorator, and is also my cousin) is our artesania display specialist and this year we made minor tweaks, he added his special touch and the booth looks better than ever! Big thanks to my brother Tomás, every year he takes all the fixtures sets up, takes down, staff scheduling and daily duties and thanks to everyone that helps with all the details, my sister and niece especially.

If you’re a fair shopper (like myself!) and looking for unique gifts and are committed to supporting Women, BIPOC owned businesses at the fair, we all thank you for your support!

Here is a sneak peek of some of our items at the big Minnesota get together!

Calaveras and Catrinas are a hot item every year at the fair. Please take time to research and understand the meaning of these. Also, these skulls are each individually handpainted by an artist whom we’ve been working with for many years.

The items on this stand at the fair are designed by young artists from Mexico City that create Mexican pop art.

The embroidery items are from Chiapas, a young woman and her family set up at the tianguis (like a flea market) every week. She has gotten so creative with her embroidery! Come check out all the new items she sent us this year including these hats!