The Queer Mercado moves into Olvera Street for the first time since its founding

Food, culture, local vendors, art and queer joy are just some of the things that attendees can expect as the Queer Mercado arrives at the historic Olvera Street this upcoming Saturday, May 16.

The Queer Mercado, founded by Diana Diaz, Gaudencio Marquez and Ryan Montez, will move to La Placita Olvera on Olvera Street for the first time since its founding in the summer of 2021. Originally established in East Los Angeles, the Queer Mercdo will be bringing queer joy to the city’s historic birthplace and making the event bigger than previous years. 

Organizers of the Mercado say this is also the first queer Latino cultural celebration of its kind at Placita Olvera. 

More than an open market, the Queer Mercado is considered to be a cultural activation event bringing together 40 queer and allied Latino vendors, local artists and live painters. 

This year's mercado will also feature a fashion showcase, music, wellness experience and community resources.

According to organizers of the mercado, the event also comes at a moment when new leadership is working to bring fresh energy and new audiences to Olvera Street, which, since the ICE raids began in June 2025, has been economically impacted by low sales. 

This year's official sponsor of the Queer Mercado is Juanita’s Café, a restaurant that has been serving people on Olvera Street since 1944. 

In 1944, Juana Guerrero founded Juanita's Cafe at the urging of her mother-in-law, Aurora Guerrero, founder of Cielito Lindo, also located on Olvera Street. 

Guerrero, her husband and her sons fostered the business for years, and today, almost 82 years later, the restaurant remains open. Juanita’s Café serves authentic Mexican food and this year they will have a booth at the Queer Mercado where they will be serving tacos.

One of the featured speakers will be Bridgett Khoury, a queer Palestinian Chicana and founder of the School of Sexuality Project, which is a grassroots, nonprofit organization that provides inclusive, shame-free, and intersectional sex education through art, humor and community engagement.

The organization focuses on destigmatizing sexual health education for queer youth and young people, utilizing creative methods like workshops to teach about bodies, relationships and identity. Khoury has over a decade of experience as a certified sex educator, with the majority of her work focusing on working-class youth.

Attendees will also hear from Dr. David Lyons, also known as Doctor Homie, a Los Angeles-based physician raised between South Central Los Angeles and the Mexican border in Tijuana. 

As a health educator, he addresses topics such as nutrition, diabetes and wellness, all tailored to the LGBTQ+ community. As a primary care physician at Universal Community Health Center and founder of Doctor Homie Productions, he focuses on making health information accessible to low-income, minority communities.

This Saturday will mark the official move-in day for the new residency of the Queer Mercado at Placita Olivera. 

The event will take place at La Placita Olvera at 845 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is a free, all-ages event welcoming families and LGBTQ+ allies.