McDowell Road in Phoenix becomes Mercado on Miracle Mile on Saturday

PHOENIX — A Phoenix community event with holiday shopping called Mercado on Miracle Mile is set for Saturday.

The event is scheduled to take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will include participating stores on McDowell Avenue from 14th to 20th streets.

Visitors can expect to see live music, food, pop-up shops, street light banners and lighting.

“We want the community to visit Mercado on Miracle Mile and enjoy meeting the business owners in the area, who are also their neighbors, taste food and coffee from different parts of the world, and enjoy and dance to the sound of music,” Patricia García Duarte, president and CEO of Trellis, a local nonprofit, said in the release.

“Together, we can have a great time with our families while supporting our local artists, musicians, and merchants.”

Drivers can find parking to the event next to or behind the commercial buildings and on public parking lots.

The project to revitalize Miracle Mile on McDowell started six years ago when Trellis decided to help create a community where residents can walk, enjoy local art and make purchases and nearby stores, the press release said.

Of the 80 businesses within the corridor, approximately 60 percent are minority-owned, most of whom are Latinos, the release said.

The Mercado is sponsored by Wells Fargo as part of the bank’s nationwide “Hope, USA” initiative.

The initiative was created with the intent to enhance business districts and assist small businesses across more than a dozen U.S. cities.

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