Mesa Marketplace

Our friends Colleen and Dennis didn't have a show this weekend, so we decided to go with them to visit some of their vendor friends that have booths at the Mesa Marketplace. We have gone by there often in previous years in Arizona, but have never stopped by.

I was a little concerned when I heard how large a venue it was. Forry had brought his cane, but it looked like it might be a lot of walking. The first thing we saw when we turned into the parking lot was a sign that said "Scooter Rentals - This Aisle." Having rented scooters before, we immediately headed that way. This concession was a little different. Instead of a flat fee like the places where we've gotten them before, these guys had an hourly rate. You signed them out, then paid when you returned. They actually turned out to be cheaper than others we've used.

The Marketplace is HUGE! I think it is as large as the big tent at Quartzite, but without the crowds (though we were told that in another month the crowds will be wall-to-wall.). There are four long corridors with vender booths on either side along with venders along the connecting corridors.

Many of the vendors are selling the same kind of "Imported from China" stuff that you see at every flea market; others are more on the order of the hand-crafted jewelry you see at the art fairs. It sounds like you rent a booth, then basically staff it at least four days a week. The friends of Colleen and Dennis kept talking about how much they enjoyed not having to continually have to take down and set up their booths and wares.

I ended up buying a couple of new tunics and a t-shirt while Forry bought a new cane (now maybe he'll give my purple one back!).

Since we were in Mesa already, we decided to go to Waldo's Barbecue for dinner. We all ended up ordering our usual delicious half racks of baby back ribs - and we all ended taking home leftovers! I kept looking around as this BBQ joint that we've gone to for many years seemed "different." When Forry finally said something about the signs, which are posted all over, being different, we finally realized that the place had been repainted! The signs and pictures were now in artful arrangements instead of just stuck up haphazardly. Our waiter told us that the entire staff had come in one morning to paint.