Fiestas Market Square

Junky Mexican-​theme tourist crap. Some novelty Mexican snacks are available, but not much else in the way of food. Although I did see a restaurant on location. Did not try.
Not much going on here, unless you’re in the market for toy guitars, puppets, plastic jewelry, stereotype’d tee shirts, imitation Mexican folk art, or manufacture day of the dead skulls.

I found some beautiful glassware and ended up getting it for 40% off since I paid cash. Yaasss. Thank god I didn’t have too much cash because everything was beautiful and I would have bought all the wine glasses, margarita glasses and matching pitchers. There’s lots of vendors. I had some delicious food from a few different carts. I’ll be back!

Me and my mom HATED market square. $ 7 parking wasn’t so bad because it’s a good locations — the stairs bring you straight down to market.
The first store we went in was crazy. It was plenty of pop up booths with cheap Jewlery and flee market junk. We gave up and left there. We walked down to a few more stores and found the same exact stuff including Mexican puppets, yard decorations, Mexican gowns and clothes, and cheap Jewlery. Every store was EXACTLY the same. Overall, market square was way smaller than we expected and nothing at all interesting or festive.

Bright and colorful, a feast for the eyes and the smells of grilled meats and peppers…
A fun place to shop, listen to music and grab some good food. Also a great place to people watch. I love that it’s on the trolley line and easy to get to! We will visit more than once on this trip!

Growing up visiting family in Mexico I can appreciate all the shops at the Market Square. It reminded me so much of my childhood! I remember walking along the Mexican touristy boardwalks and markets enjoying all the gift shops, music and street food.
Mexico is a country known for it’s rich culture. I remember traveling to the Garibaldi square famous for Mariachi Music and its local native vendors who come and sell handmade items like dolls, sarapes, rugs, pottery, jewelry, Agua Frescas, churros, fruit on a stick, roasted corn, street tacos. Well, the Marketplace is a tiny taste of Mexico, and thankfully, I don’t have to drive all the way to the Motherland to find some great souvenirs.
You’ll find all kinds of curios, pottery, marble chess sets, wooden toys… no shortage of fun gifts. I loved showing my kids all the wonderful artisans since we no longer visit Mexico on a regular basis.
We bought some beautiful pottery and my boys got some fun souvenir luchadores and candy to take home.
Overall a fun day of touristy shopping! We’ll be back!

It’s fun and festive. A bit touristy but if you’re new in town or have out of town guests, this is an awesome spot. Plenty of Mexican style trinkets and knick knacks and some pretty cool local artisans come out too. There’s music and yummy eats. Fun!

Claiming to reproduce what a Mexican street market would be like, it feels more like what a tourist would perceived a Mexican street market to be.
Granted there is the typical «dia de los muertos» skeleton, with its colorful rendition of a very important «festivity». But, why do they think tourists want sobreros and mariachis? Mexico is much more than the knick knacks displayed here. And this market does the country and its people little to no justice.
Salsas here are overpriced and slightly on the underspiced side. Middle of the road stereotyped idea of what Mexico feels like.
I wish there would be more Mexican and less Mexican’t.
I know S. Antonio and the Tex-​Mex culture has far more to offer than this. I have seen it, tasted it, danced to it… and loved it!

Who: boyfriend & I
When: Valentine’s Day weekend, 2015
Where: Fiestas Market Square
What: Chili-​powdered mango on a stick ($ 5)
Why: Despite living in for the past half decade, I have little experience with hispanic culture and food. As a hispanic heritage attraction, this place offers a wonderful cultural space that promotes strolling, shopping, restaurant-​ing, and indulging in street eats, art, and music. We went to the famous Mi Tierra restaurant/​bakery and jumped ship after realizing the wait to put our name on the waiting list was an hour (1 hour wait just to put our name on the list!). At any rate, there is much to enjoy in the square. At the very least, enjoy a chili-​podwered mango on a stick, and go from there.

No need to head to Mexico for food and shopping! Just come here! Tons of great things to buy including home decorations, clothes, leather made items, jewelry, spices, snacks, shoes, crafts, etc. Theres a small food court in the Farmers Market area but also food vendors hanging just outside the building. I like to stop by here when I visit San Antonio. It’s fun and people really enjoy the markets.

Viva Fiesta!
This is the best option for getting Fiesta food! Tripas, anyone?!
This place is one of the longest fiesta events. It goes on nearly the entire time that Fiesta is going on, from dawn til the late hours of the evening.
You can still do the regular shopping through there while Fiesta is going on. Just expect it to be a lot more crowded than usual.
There’s all kinds of great music that goes on here all week– there’s usually at least four stages set up. You have to actually go through the Market in order to get to that last one– it’s set up under the freeway! Yea, the acoustics suck there.
They don’t really have enough bathrooms set up for this. The shops and restaurants don’t want you going in there for theirs. This year, I saw for the first time a bathroom pass $ 2 for one visit, $ 5 for the entire week. If you’re a guy, the lines are generally pretty short. I’ve heard horror stories about the women’s lines.
My advice: don’t even try to park around here. Take the bus or walk from the street parking on the other side of the freeway.
Plus, the beers at the booths are the most expensive options. Go to the little shops that are always open selling beer from a brick and mortar store. They’re cheaper, and they usually have chili salt and limes!

Touristy thing #3 on my mom’s list.
I’ve been to Tijuana, so this place I could had done without. Side note: We went on a Thursday and there was nothing going on. I spied Mexican Elvis eating by himself in the market building where all the vendor booths are. Since I wasn’t looking for Mexican dolls, or clothes, or baskets, etc… I really had nothing to shop for. I wanted something that screamed San Antonio! I only found salsa that wasn’t made in New York City. Austin, which is an awesome city, but $ 9/​jar is not what I want to break in my suitcase.
So we ate! Not here inside the marketplace, but at one of the two tourist ridden restaurants. Which was the highlight of our ½ mile walk here from the hotel.

I love me some Market Square. I love the shopping, I love the food, I love the beer, I love the bands.
This Fiesta event takes place every singe day that Fiesta is going on. Every. Single. Day. From morning until midnight (and in some cases later). It is a non-​stop party that embraces what Fiesta is all about. Culture. And drinking. The stage under I35 hosts a great selection of musicians and bands throughout the day while the vendors scattered throughout the event are ready to supply you with hats, medals, food, beer, and pretty much any and everything else you could need to enjoy the event and Fiesta overall.
I will warn you: being this is a free event, it WILL get crowded (it should go without saying that Friday/​Sat nights are the worst of the worst). Be ready to contend with strollers, drunk folks, loud music, and the wonderful aroma of tripas (that’s sarcasm folks, but you’ll get a whiff, trust me). But all things considered this is a fun, exciting way to come downtown and celebrate this little thing we call Fiesta.

The corn ($ 5) and aquas frescas ($ 5) are overpriced but that’s to be expected at a touristy place that is market square. I recently had my engagement photos taken here and i can recommend it as a really unique location. There are tons of colorful walls, lively settings, and cool architecture.
This is a great place to people watch!

Very fun.
Shops are kind of repetitive but thats fine with me.
Bring cash you can make deals.
They are crazy with $ 10 or more for credit card… I know they get charged but I walked out of 2 store simply because my total was $ 9.71 and they said it was under $ 10… I would make the sale… ijs!

We were going to try Mi Tierra but when we drove around we realized they were trying to charge $ 20 for parking. We were like hellz no!!! So we didn’t think we would come back. But we did manage to walk there since it was maybe 5 – 6 blocks away from our hotel. Unfortunately we couldn’t eat meat that day so we couldn’t try any of the food. The gorditas looked good. They had corn in a cup, funnel cake… It was like having a little rodeo inside of this little area. Very crowded. Everyone just stands around, drink, and listen to the band play. It’s very loud as well. I am surprised my daughter slept through it. They had the little flea market inside. Everything overpriced and not worth buying. Sorry, I’m not a tourist idiot. Yeah, not good for strollers and young kids really.

Market Square is a hidden gem of places to hang out in San Antonio. There is always something going on there; there’s always plenty of food, music, and people enjoying the south Texas heat with drinks. The area can get very crowded during special events and Fiesta time, so it’s not a great place for families, especially with strollers. The restaurants there are good (see separate reviews) and if you’re looking for some fun San Antonio souvenirs, there’s something you’ll love in the little shops inside. My one complaint is the restrooms. It’s worth it to wait till you go eat just to use a nice, clean one.
My rating system:
5 stars= Driving across town just for this!
4 stars= I would recommend visiting.
3 stars= Average, acceptable, positive.
2 stars= You might be able to drag me in.
1 star= I will definitely not be returning.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the market square! Where else can you shop, shop, shop, drink an adult beverage while shopping, listen to live music, shop, eat at a few amazing restaurants, shop and did I mention SHOP?
The Market Square totally captures the spirit of San Antonio! Don’t forget to check out the Mexican Elvis… lol

Growing up in San Antonio, our families would go shopping at the Market Square every now and then. We’d spend all day and lunch at the local restaurants. Those were memorable times!
Well, I came back with my fiancé and I took him there. Man, we had a blast as well! We bought so much for ourselves, our offices, and for our friends.
I highly suggest a good pair of shoes, lots of cash, and get an early start in the morning. And, don’t buy at the first store you shop. Shop around and compare prices. You’re bound to find bargains and hidden gems.
Just go and have fun!

There’s so many different shops to go through and such a variety of items to choose from. My favorite was the little shop with the ceiling of bamboo wind chimes, wooden croaking frogs, and water bird whistles.
The items found here at Market Square are probably geared more for tourists, however it was fun to investigate. It’s certainly worth a look and a chance to experience this part of San Antonio.
The next time friends or family come to visit from out of town, this will be a stop on our list of outings.

A must stop for shopping and snacking when in San Antonio! Huge variety of food items, clothing, accessories, pottery, you name it!
If your a first time as a tourist here, buy a Mexican blanket to take home. They last forever! Eat a cup of roasted corn «Mexican style» with mayo, Cotija cheese, and chili powder. Tastes SO much better than it sounds.
Over the years the prices have gotten a little high on most items, but hey inflation affects us all, right? As a general rule, prices offered by the outside vendors tend to be little lower than those inside the building. Many vendors carry identical items, so don’t hesitate to haggle a bit, especially if you’re buying a lot from one person. They will usually make you a fair deal.
Visit and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of Mexican smack dab in the middle of San Antonio, TX!