There’s something happening downtown that you may have missed. It's called Mercado O'liva and it happens from ten to two, just once a month on the First Saturday. It takes place under the shade of the massive live oaks in the courtyard of the Spanish Governor’s Palace. Chef Chuck Hernandez explains Mercado O’liva.
“It was designed to bring back the spirit of former style markets in that area, at the Spanish Governors Palace in over 140 years.”
Downtown's Spanish Governors Palace is one of San Antonio’s oldest buildings, dating from the early 1700s. Hernandez says Mercado O’liva is a tip of the hat to the place’s cultural and commercial use in times past.
“This is where all the trading took place. You could buy chickens, songbirds, saddles. Y’know, it was just an interesting place.”
Hernandez is looking to continue that tradition of a plaza market.
“We open it up to different local vendors. They could be artists, musicians. There are chef demos" he said. "Community-supported agriculture shares can be bought online and picked up. It’s like groceries. So you can stroll through; there’s a lot of kid stuff.”
I asked if someone’s thinking of coming down, what can they expect?
“You can expect a lot of stuff for children, a lot of colorful crafts and jewelry, and wellness information. You can find a lot of conversation about food, whether it’s local or international ideas, and occasionally there will be some sort of entertainment and dancing, and certainly a lot of food tasting, and a sense of community, I mean, people come and meet there.
What’s old is new again, but in a new iteration.
“It’s interesting that this block has people in it again. It’s really nice.”
We’ve more on Mercado O'liva here: https://www.facebook.com/MercadoOliva
