Tucson FoodieCelebrating local food, drink, and community.
Mercado San Agustín celebrates 15 years with Quinceañera event

(Photo courtesy of Mercado San Agustín)

Mercado San Agustín celebrates 15 years with Quinceañera event

May 6, 20263 min read

Mercado San Agustín will celebrate 15 years with a Quinceañera event on Friday, May 8. The Mercado San Agustín Quinceañera will take place from 6-9 p.m. at 100 S. Avenida del Convento. The celebration will honor the west-side marketplace’s role as a cultural hub, business incubator, and community gathering space.

The event will feature special remarks, live music, shop and dine deals, and community programming. Organizers describe the Mercado as a place rooted in heritage, walkability, and local character. Over 15 years, the plaza has grown into a destination for food, shopping, and neighborhood connection.

Mercado San Agustín Quinceañera honors 15 years in Tucson

Mercado San Agustín opened as a plaza inspired by traditional Mexican marketplaces. Today, it anchors the Mercado District with restaurants, shops, events, and public gathering space. The anniversary event will celebrate the merchants, founders, customers, neighbors, and families who shaped its identity.

“This anniversary is really about the people,” co-founder Kira Dixon-Weinstein said in a press release. “The merchants, the neighbors, the customers and the families who have made this space what it is. Mercado San Agustín was always meant to feel like it belonged to Tucson — and 15 years later, that spirit is stronger than ever.”

The celebration will also recognize the Mercado’s role in supporting small businesses. Presta Coffee Roasters and Seis Kitchen both started with modest footprints at the Mercado before expanding across Tucson.

Music, remarks, and community celebration

The Mercado San Agustín Quinceañera will include remarks from Tucson leaders, founders, tenants, and neighborhood voices. Speakers include Mayor Regina Romero, Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz, founders Adam Weinstein and Kira Dixon-Weinstein, and original tenants. The celebration will also include shop and dine deals throughout the evening.

The program will feature:

  • Azteca Dancers
  • Blessing
  • Speeches from Tucson Mayor Regina Romero
  • Speeches from Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz
  • Speeches from Menlo Park Neighborhood Association President Kylie Walzak
  • Speeches from founders Adam Weinstein and Kira Dixon-Weinstein
  • Remarks from Isabel Montaño from La Estrella Bakery
  • Remarks from Ahydee Almazán from Dolce Pastello
  • Live music from Chicha Dust
  • Live music from Lupita Miranda
  • Specials from beloved merchants

Remarks begin at 6 p.m., followed by Chicha Dust at 7 p.m. The band features Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan’s original cumbia project. Guests can expect an evening built around music, food, and community pride.

(Photo courtesy of Mercado San Agustín)

A launchpad for local food businesses

Mercado San Agustín has long supported independent food and retail concepts. Its courtyard setting gives small businesses a visible, community-centered place to grow. That role helped define the Mercado as more than a shopping destination.

The anniversary also highlights Tucson’s broader food culture. Visitors can grab coffee, pastries, tacos, dinner, and drinks before or during the event.

Event details

The Mercado San Agustín Quinceañera offers a free-flowing way to celebrate one of Tucson’s most familiar gathering places. Guests can attend for remarks, stay for music, and support the merchants who call the plaza home.

Details include:

For 15 years, Mercado San Agustín has connected Tucson through food, culture, and small business. This Quinceañera gives the community a chance to celebrate that legacy together.

Article written by:

Jackie Tran

Jackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer and photographer. Best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.

Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments and petting pets.

If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.

Get our free Tucson Foodie weekly newsletter

New openings, events, dish recommendations, and guides — every Wednesday. No spam.

Take us with you.

Discover the best local spots, browse the dish database, build and share your to-visit lists, support local, and join the Foodie Club when you're ready.

Advertisement

Follow @TucsonFoodie135.7K followers
The original @Mariscos_el_bochas truck is back! Celebrate National Taco Day with them!🦐

Chef and owner Raúl Leyva, known as “El Bochas,” recently reopened the seafood truck where it all started eight years ago. El Bochas also has a restaurant on Valencia (@Elbochasrestaurant) serving seafood, steak, and more. 

The seafood is fresh, never frozen, with shipments arriving from San Carlos three times a week.🌊

Vegans and vegetarians can ask for the fried avocado tacos!

📍 El Bochas Truck: 4775 W Ajo Hwy
📍 El Bochas Restaurant: 1645 W Valencia RdThe original @Mariscos_el_bochas truck is back! Celebrate National Taco Day with them!🦐 Chef and owner Raúl Leyva, known as “El Bochas,” recently reopened the seafood truck where it all started eight years ago. El Bochas also has a restaurant on Valencia (@Elbochasrestaurant) serving seafood, steak, and more. The seafood is fresh, never frozen, with shipments arriving from San Carlos three times a week.🌊 Vegans and vegetarians can ask for the fried avocado tacos! 📍 El Bochas Truck: 4775 W Ajo Hwy 📍 El Bochas Restaurant: 1645 W Valencia Rd
ESPRESSO MARTINI SOFT SERVE IS HERE😍

Starting TODAY, Oct. 3, you can try the new flavor at @sisterstucson!

🌞Made with @yellowbrickcoffee
📍800 N Country Club Rd

Margarita and Piña Colada soft serve are also available. Which one are you picking?

21+ESPRESSO MARTINI SOFT SERVE IS HERE😍 Starting TODAY, Oct. 3, you can try the new flavor at @sisterstucson! 🌞Made with @yellowbrickcoffee 📍800 N Country Club Rd Margarita and Piña Colada soft serve are also available. Which one are you picking? 21+
Tucson Meet Yourself is back! The 53rd annual festival runs Oct. 16-18 in downtown Tucson, free and open to everyone, with about 50 food vendors representing cultures from across Southern Arizona and well beyond.🎉

Visit tucsonfoodie.com for the vendor list + more detailsTucson Meet Yourself is back! The 53rd annual festival runs Oct. 16-18 in downtown Tucson, free and open to everyone, with about 50 food vendors representing cultures from across Southern Arizona and well beyond.🎉 Visit tucsonfoodie.com for the vendor list + more details
Here’s a look back at what the Tucson Foodie team enjoyed during September!

Not only are these reminders of the dishes we ate, but they can also be a guide for your own decisions on what to eat here in Tucson.❤️

- @Addiewankenobi: Mesquite Half Chicken and soup @sawmillrun, French Toast @sunshine_wine_tucson, Steak & Tacos @asadataqueria, Wild Game Trio @corktucson 

- @Thebigdaneenergy: Bulgogi Beef Pizza @sisterstucson, Nom Nom Balls @uncorked_bar, Chipotle Braised Short Rib @tubacgolfresortandspa, Taste of Havana Main Course and Summer Heritage Bean Salad @mojocubankitchen 

- @Deathfreefoodie: Vegan bean pupusas @asaditoszulmyta, Vegan buffet @delcielotamal 

- @Jackie_tran_: @odddogshotdogs, @bisouburger, Catering order of canelés and cream puffs @okashi_ice_cream_confections, Kale Salad @timemarket 

- @Shanereiser: Molcajete @ameliastucson 

More on Tucsonfoodie.comHere’s a look back at what the Tucson Foodie team enjoyed during September! Not only are these reminders of the dishes we ate, but they can also be a guide for your own decisions on what to eat here in Tucson.❤️ - @Addiewankenobi: Mesquite Half Chicken and soup @sawmillrun, French Toast @sunshine_wine_tucson, Steak & Tacos @asadataqueria, Wild Game Trio @corktucson - @Thebigdaneenergy: Bulgogi Beef Pizza @sisterstucson, Nom Nom Balls @uncorked_bar, Chipotle Braised Short Rib @tubacgolfresortandspa, Taste of Havana Main Course and Summer Heritage Bean Salad @mojocubankitchen - @Deathfreefoodie: Vegan bean pupusas @asaditoszulmyta, Vegan buffet @delcielotamal - @Jackie_tran_: @odddogshotdogs, @bisouburger, Catering order of canelés and cream puffs @okashi_ice_cream_confections, Kale Salad @timemarket - @Shanereiser: Molcajete @ameliastucson More on Tucsonfoodie.com