One thing I’ve started appreciating more lately is how many local vendor markets Mesa has been hosting.
It’s such an easy way to spend time together as a family without needing some huge plan. We walk around for a few hours, try food from local businesses, listen to music, find handmade things we didn’t know existed, and usually leave carrying more bags than we intended to.
This weekend we ended up at two completely different events:
- Neon Moon Collective for Neon Moon After Dark
- PS I Love AZ for Moms & Mimosas
Both were packed with local vendors, good food, and families walking around together enjoying the weekend.
Neon Moon After Dark
Friday night we went to Neon Moon After Dark and immediately walked into a DJ playing millennial throwback music.
The girls wanted to start looking at booths right away, but first we decided to figure out food.
Walking through the market, vendors kept offering samples every few steps. Mini pancakes, mini donuts, tea samples, little snacks. It made the whole event feel really welcoming and interactive instead of just rows of booths.
Carne Asada Cartel was handing out free flower bouquets for moms, which I thought was such a thoughtful touch.
We ended up chosing lemonade from Lemon and Leaf and BBQ Ribs with Mac and Cheese from BBQ in Tha Valley . This is one of those food trucks that I would actually track their location and hunt them down. The ribs were the *perfect* amount of give. The flavor was just one of those easy to eat flavors plus I paired it with their spicy BBQ sauce. My 5 year old devoured one of them as well! I am NOT and I repeat not a fan of mac and cheese. BUT I am a fan of pasta and if mac and cheese is done in a more pasta-y fashion, I love it. This is how BBQ in Tha Valley does theirs. Great seasoning and lots of real cheese. I ate more than I should have as someone currently cutting back on carbs.
Later on I tried tea from Bleu September and ended up buying some after sampling it. I got the Hibiscus Ginger and Lavender Lemon teas.
I also picked up some gift baskets from another local vendor, Desert Glow Gifting Co. I wanted more of a basket that she didn’t have on hand and Amber made them and hand delivered them to my house!
My 5 year old got a crocheted squishie from Whimsical Wonders.
The kids loved the face painting station and spent a long time watching the mini donut setup. At one point they were running around with snow cones while we walked through the handmade booths looking at jewelry, clothing, candles, art, and home decor.
We stayed there for almost three hours without even realizing how much time had passed.
Moms & Mimosas
Sunday we went to Moms & Mimosas hosted by PS I Love AZ and the first thing I appreciated was that it was indoors because Arizona decided to hit 104 degrees this weekend.
The amount of vendors there was huge. We definitely didn’t make it through every booth before the girls were ready to slow down for a bit.
There was so much for kids to do:
- bounce houses
- farm animals outside with a mobile petting farm
- customizable fidget toys
- 3D printed toys
- handmade art booths
One of the girls’ favorite stops was Crystalee’s Creations where they got to customize little clicker fidget toys with different buttons and decorations.
Food somehow became the theme of the weekend because we kept finding more things we wanted to try.
We ended up leaving with:
- beef jerky from Jerky Stache
- banana bread from Lele Sweets (see my recipe for banana bread muffins with chocolate flakes here!)
- teriyaki chicken
- dumplings
- boba from Island Boba
There were also booths selling handmade cutting boards, jewelry, candles, tumblers, clothing, Arizona-inspired art, and so many handcrafted items that you could tell people had put real time into making.
By the time we got home, we were tired in that good way where everyone changes into comfy clothes, grabs a blanket, and winds down on the couch together after being out for a few hours.
Why I Love These Events
I think what I like most about these markets is that they feel personal.
You’re buying from actual people who made or curated what they’re selling. A lot of these are small Arizona businesses trying to build something from the ground up, and I really love supporting that when I can.
The kids also genuinely enjoy it.
They find little toys, snacks, desserts, and activities they get excited about, and I like that they get exposed to creative people making things by hand instead of everything feeling mass-produced.
Mesa has been doing such a good job with these kinds of events lately, especially if you’re looking for something family-friendly that doesn’t feel overly complicated to plan.
If you live in the East Valley, I definitely think local vendor markets are worth adding to your weekend list.
