People’s Market opens downtown, giving Lawrence artists a permanent home

The People’s Market opened its doors at 846 Illinois St., giving Lawrence artists and makers a permanent downtown place to sell work, gather and draw foot traffic into a long-used commercial block. The grand opening came July 1, and the storefront already held around a dozen display spaces for artwork, plus tables and chairs for community use and coffee and pastry vendors on weekend mornings.

Monique Mercurio built the market after years of organizing around the limits of pop-up selling. Mercurio, who uses they/them pronouns and is a member of the Ohlone Costanon Esselen Nation, moved to Lawrence in 2020 and first gained momentum by selling at local art shows. Mercurio said the crowds at those events did not include enough people of color or queer people, a gap that helped lead to the Inclusive Winter Market in 2023.

That winter market featured more than 100 local artists and grew into an annual event. A related Inclusive Holiday Market at the Lied Center on Dec. 16, 2023 drew more than 100 vendors, and Mercurio was identified then as a consultant with Black:30 and owner of MercTribe Designs. Black:30 describes itself as supporting minority business owners, and the group’s role, along with Mercurio’s, helped widen the reach of the market concept beyond a single seasonal sale.

The new storefront extends that effort into a year-round space. Its inventory ranges from crocheted curios to hand-tie-dyed clothing, underscoring that the market is designed as an artist-and-maker hub rather than a conventional shop. Mercurio has said the aim is not only commerce but a place where different parts of Lawrence can mix, with local businesses benefiting from regular activity instead of one-off event traffic.

The address itself adds another layer of downtown reuse. Douglas County real-estate transfer records show 846 Illinois St. was transferred to Old Towne Square Properties LLC in January 2026, and a 2017 Journal-World item identified the site as the former home of Mr. Bacon BBQ. Mercurio’s name has also surfaced in other Lawrence arts settings, including a 2021 beading-history event at Haskell Indian Nations University and an April 2026 Cultural Arts Commission discussion of a mural project.

Lawrence’s arts planning framework has already called for balancing the local scene, celebrating community and building places together. The People’s Market puts those goals inside one storefront, and it opens alongside other local efforts, including the Lawrence Farmers Market’s push for a permanent location.