Schedules
Fridays 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Sundays 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Market Situation:
The Market is located in the heart of the municipality of Vega de San Mateo, just a few meters from the Historic District, although it is not part of the area covered by the Historic District Plan.
See location on map, HERE
History
The emergence of a commercial activity as a public market dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is linked to the livestock market.
Notes from historical texts that refer to the birth of commercial activity in open-air markets in the municipality of Vega de San Mateo:
“The existence of another economy based on a sector other than the primary sector at the end of the 18th century in Vega Alta and the surrounding municipalities was practically illusory. Even more so if we add to this the influence exerted by territorial occupation, with the resulting agricultural and livestock operations, and the replacement of native vegetation with foreign vegetation from temperate zones.
The existence of this incipient livestock farming, together with the improvement in the condition of the roads linking Vega de San Mateo with other territories, led, on January 5, 1890, to the local council's decision to establish a fair and market square on the town's Main Street every Sunday of the year. Following this decision, the first fair was established on the first Sunday of March. 1890, for which the approval of the Civil Governor of the Province was requested, and he responded affirmatively.
From all this, it must be concluded that the birth of an open-air commercial activity in our municipality occurred in 1890. It began as a Farmers' Market in 1980, settling in the Livestock Fair Grounds. The Market's uniqueness, and what largely contributes to its success, is that it was born from a demand from the municipality's farmers and ranchers, who approached the City Council requesting a space to sell their products without the need for a third party intermediary. The venue soon became too small and lacked sufficient resources for the activity, hence the need to create a specific infrastructure for the commercial needs of the rural people of our municipality.
Previously, the Market was located in the fairgrounds located on Lourdes Street, which was, and still is, the Livestock Fair. San Mateo established a livestock fair of significant importance throughout the island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, being the first This was established and several warehouses were built for it.
The passage of time and the decline of livestock farming, along with improved communications, led to a decline in fair activity, and this status as a fair town was replaced by the Agricultural and Artisan Market.
It was the initiative of the farmers themselves, who requested a space for the direct sale of their products, given the inconvenience they faced with the intermediation of vendors.
Thus, from a market on the town's Main Street when it was founded, it became a market in the enclosed fairgrounds, and from there, due to the need for more space, it became the current facilities.
DISTRIBUTION OF MARKET ACTIVITY
The warehouses housing the Agricultural and Artisan Market were inaugurated in late 1983, in the heart of the municipality of Vega de San Mateo. The warehouses cover approximately 10,000 m2, divided into two warehouses: one with 1,900 m2 for the sale of agricultural and livestock products, which also includes a basement with 972.6 m2 of cold storage, and another with 1,100 m2 for the sale of artisanal products and various non-food products.
The market stalls are as follows; this is a guideline because there is a high turnover due to the arrival and departure of seasonal producers, so the total number is much higher:
| CATEGORY OF SALES STANDS | NUMBER OF POSITIONS |
|---|---|
| Sellers of bakery, nuts and packaged products | 11 |
| Sellers of agri-food products and plants | 32 |
| Cheese sellers | 7 |
| Sellers of warehouse B and exteriors | 43 |
| TOTAL | 93 |
The market stalls are equipped with specific furniture designed for the sale of food products in Hall A, a steel structure designed specifically for the display and sale of these products. It has refrigerated furniture for the sale of pastries and cheeses. Additionally, for the sale of nuts, sweets, breads, and pastries that do not require refrigeration, there are appropriately furnished displays. The market and this hall also sell products such as medicinal plants, honey, eggs, and organic products. There are also stalls selling processed products from the islands: wine, liqueur, honey, mead, cigars, condiments, jams, mojos, etc., and the display and sale of plants and cut flowers.
Hall A is currently being transformed into an iconic building that will transform the current industrial warehouse into a modern and striking infrastructure. This is the project currently under construction:
In Hall B, which sells various non-food products, there is furniture designed specifically for the sale of products typically textiles and accessories, toys, music, jewelry, books, cosmetics, decorative objects, etc.
Meanwhile, in the outdoor hall, crafts, textiles, and prepared food products such as roasted pineapples are sold under tents set up for this purpose. Live music bands are often featured.
Complementary services to the Market include parking and cold storage.
Currently, the Farmers' Market has become the true "economic engine" of the municipality, as a service industry (restaurants, all kinds of shops, supermarkets, etc.) has developed around its activities, taking advantage of the thousands of visitors who visit the municipality on Saturdays and Sundays with the excuse of visiting the market.
Market Visitors
Average weekend visits: 10,579 people.
Sunday vehicle traffic (8 a.m.-3 p.m.): 15,016 vehicles.
Schedule: Saturday: 30%, Sunday: 70%
Market Economic Data
The Market serves as a driving force for the local economy; it is perhaps the most important and determining factor in the municipality's economic development.
This is due to the tradition that many of the island's citizens have of visiting the municipality not only as a way to reach the mountain peaks, but specifically to shop for food.
This fact, coupled with the opening of shops on Sundays as a fairground, means an average of 10,579 people visit, generating a direct annual turnover of €4,717,945.02 from the sale of food products. Calculating the turnover of the artisanal and outdoor areas is considerably more complicated, given the wide variety of sales and the large number of vendors.
The economic activity generated by the Market on weekends in the area near the Market, on Avenida Tinamar, as well as the restaurant offering located in the area, could be around €9,015,181.57 annually, specifically referring to the 52 weekends per year. The Market generates 19.74% of the municipality's disposable income.
Clearly, with these figures, it is vitally important to implement measures that improve and enhance the Market's commercial activity, make visits more attractive to visitors, ensure the market offers ideal conditions for a more enjoyable experience, ensure shopping is comfortable, ensure local products are available, which are what people demand, and ensure the safety of both the facilities and visitors.
