Pilar Aguilar, a vendor at the Garibaldi Bazaar, poses for a photo, on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at her restaurant, Coco Loco Fruteria Y Neveria, in Dallas. The iconic Hispanic market will close on March 31 after Home Depot filed paperwork with plans to open a new store. It has been operating for more than 20 years. The closure of the iconic Hispanic Garibaldi Bazaar in East Dallas will impact more than 300 vendors, their families and the community.
It was not the first time we heard rumors that the bazaar was going to close, but they were never true, Aguilar, 42, said. But now that it is happening, it causes nostalgia to know that this great family is crumbling. It is like a castle built in 20 years, and now everything is falling apart. It is very sad to have to say goodbye. The market has more than 300 stores. It has been a historic place for the Latino community in Dallas to gather and shop. The market sells everything from food and snacks from various Latin American countries to quinceañera attire, jewelry, traditional Mexican clothing, toys and other items. She came to the U.S. from the central state of Hidalgo, Mexico, without knowing English or how to run a business. Aguilar worked as a dishwasher at Chili’s and kept learning about the kitchen and other areas. She moved to different jobs until she came across the opportunity to open a space in Garibaldi Bazaar. This place gave me the opportunity to make people happy with my food, which tasted like their grandmothers or mothers and had no price, Aguilar said. Aguilar is worried about finding another place to run her business. She pays about $15,000 every month for her three spots. She says rents in other plazas are higher, and they don’t have the foot traffic that Garibaldi Bazaar has. She said the vendors have formed strong bonds, as most have been there for over 15 years. They have stood together through good times and bad. They all worked together during the days of reflection when the COVID pandemic hi