Marisol Herrera
Bringing new life to an old community is never easy, but the people behind the SuperMrkt brand in Merced have been doing just that.
The SuperMrkt is an event that is put on once a month by the people who own the Supermarket building downtown. The SuperMrkt event started in 2022, though at the time it was very different from the event many know it as today.
When the event started it was branded as the SuperFlea, and was held in the parking lot behind the Supermarket building until issues with parking arose with the city. Time went on and the demand for more events grew, so the event had to evolve in order to continue.
What used to be a small scale flea market has become a grand-scale event that happens once a month and consists of over 80 vendors. These vendors sell just about everything from trinkets, desserts, food, handmade goods and more, all inside of a two story parking garage.
The event houses many local small businesses as well as independent artists looking to share their talents and goods with the small City of Merced.
This month’s SuperMrkt will be held this weekend, on Oct. 27 in the Merced Mall parking lot. The event will have a lot of local talent on display, with even more goods being sold.
Last month’s SuperMrkt had over 5 food trucks and vendors outside lined up along the entrance wall. The bottom floor of the event had all of the handmade item vendors. This included vendors selling treats, jewelry, cups, bags and more.
One of the first vendors on the bottom floor was Patti Willson. Willson has been in the business of selling sweets since May 2022, and has been selling at the SuperMrkt since its start in 2022.
Willson was set up with her husband and son to sell her mini cakes, jumbo cookies and her signature cakes in a jar. Patti Sweets is a family owned business that started when Patti’s family told her that the world needed to try her desserts.
“If you have a passion, go for that passion,” Wilson said. “Don’t wait until you are my age to do it, do it right now.”
Another food vendor on the bottom floor of the event was Dominique Perez, who has been selling homemade gourmet popcorn since 2021 and has also been selling at the SuperMrkt since 2022. Dom’s Bomb Gourmet Popcorn is her business name, selling unique and out of this world flavored popcorn is her game.
Perez had over 8 custom flavors for purchase at her table, including banana pudding, cheesy jalapeno and birthday cake.
“I can make anything that you can think of,” Perez said. “If you want red that tastes like cinnamon or blue that tastes like orange, I can do that.”
As you walked up the levels of the garage, there were a few artists selling their art at the event as well. There was one local artist named Archer who was out to sell his art at the SuperMrkt for the first time. The art under Snot Studios was attention grabbing in both color and design, making it different from other art at the event.
“We sell stickers, lanyards, prints, oil paintings, that sort of thing,” Archer said. “If you like to collect odd or erotic art I do that a lot.”
Aside from the number of enticing food and handmade goods vendors on the lower level, there was a large selection of vendors upstairs that were selling thrifted clothing.
Whether you are into street wear, cottage core, or just looking for a unique piece to complete your wardrobe, you are sure to find it at the SuperMrkt.
The SuperMrkt is an event that has brought together people of all ages in Merced and has given them something to look forward to. It brings life to the city and gives young people a place to get together and spend time with friends.
The SuperMrkt is an event that continues to draw bigger crowds every month, it is different from all of the other events in Merced, allowing it to stand alone as one of the hottest events in town.
