Valley of Oaxaca Markets

Every Mexican town has one or more permanent markets, one of which is larger on a particular day of the week, called a periodic market. Goods and services that lack a permanent market can only function periodically as itinerant merchants move from town to another hoping to get enough trade to stay in business. The map shows the periodic market days for the towns in the Valley of Oaxaca. "Farmers Markets" have re-appearing in many USA cities in the last ten years, and they flourish in Europe. Throughout Mexico, Sunday is a popular day for periodic street markets, as this photo of Mexico City shows.

Oaxaca City itself has four permanent markets, south of the zocalo: 1) Mercado Juarez -- the original town market which today sells mainly foods (meat, vegetables) and dry goods, such as dresses, woven blankets, metal goods, etc.; 2) Mercado 20 de Novembre -- more dry goods and handicrafts from the Oaxaca region;  3) Mercado de Artesanias -- this is the handicraft market; and 4) Mercado Acastos -- is the newest and largest and sells everything that the other markets do and then some: pigs, goats, charcoal, lumber, and pottery. Saturday is the largest market day in Oaxaca.

	Palm Friday	religious icons	Zocalo	cane sugar
	Palm Friday products	street food	rolling up string cheese	prepared food
dried fish	fruits	pots & pans	Mercado  Juarez	dried grasshoppers raised by farmers
goats at Saturday market	Indians	mole & cheese	meats	Mercado 20 de  Novembre
onions	vegetables	tomatoes	Mercado de  Artesanias	dried peppers
green pottery	baskets & rope	silk flowers	mole & chocolate	grains & beans
market street	Mercado Acastos	tropical fruits	pastry	peppers!

Other topics to view: 
Colonial Streets; Folk Dancing; Easter Procession; Mescal; Weaving