‘Great big block party’: On First Fridays, KC highway underpass teems with Latino life
First Fridays Under the Bridge greets your senses with an explosion of Hispanic culture, all at once.
The scent of street tacos fills the air as dancers adorned in colorful dresses prepare for a performance. Latin music blasts from the DJ booth as patrons talk excitedly, walking through the rows of vendors lining the pillars below the Intersate 35 bridge. The overpass creates a massive canopy protecting them from the harsh summer sun.
The vendors are the main event, and they sell everything: clothing, sandals, bags, ceramic goods, jewelry and face painting, to name just a few. Every First Friday from April to September, the site is home to a revolving door of local food trucks, many of them newly started ventures, still working to build a base and happy to share their tacos, burgers, burritos, quesadillas, tortas and more with new customers.
Until last year, on any given First Friday, this I-35 underpass off Southwest Boulevard was nothing more than a parking lot for patrons walking over to the Crossroads Arts District. But the Hispanic Economic Development Corp. has transformed the location into a free, monthly hallmark of commerce and culture.
“At first we just wanted to provide a space for vendors to come out and promote and grow their business,” says Maricela Garcia, community business development specialist for the organization. “What space could be a better place than under the bridge, the gateway to the West Side” — the heart of Kansas City’s Hispanic community.
Garcia, who migrated from Mexico when she was 9, is also the co-owner of The Mystery Box in Kansas City, Kansas, a store selling home decor and furniture.
While Southwest Boulevard is home to a number of community events, a central monthly location for small businesses was something Garcia and her colleagues saw was missing. Teaming with the city, her group secured the area under the bridge every First Friday.
“I love it because all the community comes out and all the community comes together,” says Nicky Garcia (no relation to Maricela), who has been vending since 2012 and brought her Forbidden Fruits KC booth to the August First Friday event. She sells cantaritos, a traditional Mexican cocktail that mixes tequila, various citrus juices and soda, served in handmade clay mugs with the brim dipped in homemade chamoy candy.
“It’s always a good vibe, there’s never any drama and everybody from the neighborhood is dancing in the streets,” she says. “It is just like a great big block party.”
Founded in 1993, the economic development group provides resources and courses on bookkeeping, computers and financial literacy. The First Friday events raise the group’s profile, said Pedro Zamora, its executive director.
“Last year we wanted this community to be a part of what’s taking place socially and economically across the Crossroads,” says Zamora. “These merchants are so happy to be here, they may not hit every month and they may make a marginal amount of money, but it becomes a great opportunity for them to come out to network as well as learn about the services we provide them.”
Francisco Valencia worked as a restaurant cook for 14 years, when he, his wife and son began doing small catering jobs for family and community events. He upgraded to the Paco’s Tacos food truck last fall and has been a fixture at the First Fridays event. (He can also be found at the nightly food truck gathering at 18th Street and Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.)
“We come here every (First) Friday of the month and we are always here from start to finish,” says Valencia. Each month the event starts at 5 p.m. and ends at 10. “There are a lot of opportunities on a night like this, but we love to come here for the music and the dancing. It is really good exposure.”
Valencia is working with the economic development group to open his second food truck and potentially a brick-and-mortar location.
Though the First Friday event features Hispanic vendors and performances, Garcia from the development group says one of the best parts is introducing the heritage to other races and walks of life.
“Instead of being divided by the bridge, I feel like the connection starts there and then it branches out to the other communities that we welcome. I mean everybody’s welcome,” she says.
Darius Jefferson visited the event for the first time with his girlfriend, who lives nearby. Noticing the roads blocked off, the sound of music and the smell of delicious food, they decided to stop by.
“I was just driving past and asked her what was going on and she didn’t know so we walked over,” said Jefferson, a Black St. Louis native who has lived in KC since 2010. “I think it is really cool because we will normally go to the Crossroads First Friday or the one on Vine, but this is a cool vibe.”
Since April, the event has highlighted Hispanic cultural arts, such as DJs, mariachi bands, local Tejano folk singers like Las Estrellas and traditional Mexican dance performances from Los Bailadores de Kansas City.
“This year we have included the live entertainment element, which gives people a place to come out and show off their talents,” says Garcia. “There’s so much talent in KC and a lot of times they’re just starting up their career and so we want to provide a platform so they could be heard.”
This Friday, Sept. 1, is the last of this year’s events under the bridge.
Though the time and effort that goes into each month can get overwhelming with coordinating between vendors, food trucks and performers, Garcia believes that the event will only get bigger in years to come.
“Sept. 1 is going to be our biggest one yet and it’s great to see the growth,” says Garcia. “That’s kind of the whole reason behind doing these events. They take a whole lot of planning and a whole lot of work, but at the end of the day it’s all worth it.”
Fight Night
▪ The free First Fridays Under the Bridge runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday under the Interstate 35 bridge off Southwest Boulevard.
▪ In addition, the Hispanic Economic Development Corp. and the Leo Moreno Jr. Boxing Club will present the inaugural First Friday Fight Night Under the Bridge, starting at 5 p.m. at 2131 Jefferson St., next to the overpass. The event, kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month, will feature 16 boxing matches with fighters from the Kansas City and St. Louis areas. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $30 for VIP. (The vendor event is free without purchase of a ticket.) Contact Maricela Garcia at mgarcia@kchedc.org or call 816-370-6767.
