Mexican food, music and shopping await at new weekly market at Wichita’s NoMar Plaza

It’ll be a fiesta every weekend at NoMar International Market now that a new “mercadito,” or little market, is about to launch.

The Mercadito Hispano Nomar will open on Saturday and continue on Sunday. Its organizers said they will put it on every weekend through late October at the NoMar Plaza, 204 E. 21st St. North, where they’ll offer food, entertainment and lots of Mexican vendors.

The new market is the product of talks between a group of Hispanic business people in Wichita led by Nancy Olivas of Nancy Fashion. The group wanted to revive north-side commerce and build bridges with other communities, said China Pena of AzTeca’s Botique, another one of the organizers.

This weekend’s inaugural market, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, will feature about 20 vendors, Pena said. They’ll be selling Mexican food and desserts as well as items like shoes, blankets, boots, motorcycles and toys.

One of the food vendors that will be serving is Laura’s Super Tortas, a longtime Wichita restaurant that’s been closed since 2011 but is making a comeback with a booth at the market.

On Saturday, the market will feature music from the group Banda Hispanica from Wichita State University. There will also be a mariachi band. On Sunday, there will be a DJ and games kids. Organizers hope to offer entertainment every weekend.