Main Street Market continues through July in downtown Stockton
The Main Street Market is back Tuesday with another evening market.
Food trucks, maker vendors, arcade games, live music and more can be found in downtown Stockton every second and fourth Tuesday this June and July.
With just four markets left, you will not want to miss this one.
“We wanted to have a community event downtown that would make people get out of their cars and walk around and enjoy the architecture and enjoy local food and local vendors and also to come inside our building, which our building is a mix of food, retail and office space,” said Tony Yadon, executive director of the nonprofit Parents by Choice.
Parents by Choice owns the Courthouse Plaza where the market takes place. The market began last year in partnership with Maker’s Made in August. The market started with just four events and used only one block of Main Street.
This year the market in partnership with the Downtown Stockton Alliance and the city of Stockton has expanded to six events from May to July and with four blocks closed from Sutter Street to Hunter Square and Weber Avenue to Market Street.
In the middle of it all at the corner of Main and San Joaquin streets, you will find the Courthouse Plaza.
“There really hasn't been an outdoor market like this in downtown for many years and so it was kind of something that we wanted people to come down and experience,” Yadon said.
Parents By Choice purchased the Courthouse Plaza in 2020, the Main Street Market is an effort to bring people out downtown and into their building.
The building has an indoor mall and hosts more than a dozen businesses.
The Downtown Stockton Alliance added live music to the mix this year and more security presence.
Jazz Music performer Patrick Langham will be live at Tuesday's market.
The City of Stockton is coordinating all street closures and paying for closures, something the Courthouse Plaza did last year out of pocket.
“The city of Stockton is really interested in investing in that area to bring some economic life back to downtown,” Yadon said.
Here you will find everything from ramen to gourmet baked potatoes, Yadon said.
“On top of that, we've talked with all the businesses on those blocks, including businesses in our building, and they're all open for these events. So you have more food, coffee, desserts, you have gift shops, and antique stores,” Yadon said.
While there is live music and fun activities at booths there is a free underground arcade at the Courthouse Plaza.
“In our building, the Courthouse Plaza, there's the underground arcade, which is a free-play arcade that we own and operate ourselves. And so it has a lot of vintage video games. And you know, the kind of the classic arcade games from the 80s and 90s they are all set to free play,” Yadon said.
There is no entry fee to the market. Parking is also free.
Yadon said after 5 p.m. street parking is free. The Downton Stockton Alliance booth also has vouchers for anyone that parks at the Coy parking garage.
“It's great to be out walking the street looking at the architecture of the buildings around you,” Yadon said. “You don't get that in other places in Stockton and so it's just it's a really neat experience and, and we'd love to see folks come down and enjoy themselves.”
For more information follow the Courthouse Plaza on Facebook.
Go have fun
When: 4:30-8 p.m., every second and fourth Tuesday in June and July (June 13-July 27)
Where: Courthouse Plaza, 306 E. Main Street, Stockton
Admission: Free
Information: courthouseplaza.net/
Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached atarocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record athttps://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Main Street Market in downtown Stockton is back on Tuesday
