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Shopping in Tlaquepaque
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 For decades, Tlaquepaque has been a shopper’s dream for the sale of decorative art and craft items.
Tlaquepaque’s name, which translates as something like, “Hill Where the Clay Comes From,” refers to its long history of pottery making.
Other crafts in Tlaquepaque include blown glass, bronze and iron sculptures, embroidered cloth, furniture, painting, and jewelry. You can also find pewter work, hand-woven wool textiles, and chocolate from Oaxaca.
Whether your taste runs to Huichole yarn paintings or artisanal tequila, carved masks or designer silver jewelry, you’ll find it in Tlaquepaque. Prices range from extremely affordable to high end.
Pedestrian-only Independencia and nearby Avenida Juárez have many fine shops, and smaller vendors sell their wares from tables set up along the sides of those two main streets. Many more shops can be found on other streets, too, so be sure to do some exploring to see what you can find.
 The twice-yearly Expo EnArt trade show at El Refugio presents work from many of Mexico’s finest workshops. A more detailed account of EnArt is here.
The mercado is open every day of the year, from morning to mid-afternoon. Stalls on its lower level sell craft items, including ceramics. Even if you buy nothing, a stroll through the lively mercado, with its food stalls, lunch counters, flower sellers, etc., is a sensory delight. The same can be said of Tlaquepaque's weekly tianguis, stalls with venders who sell everything from vegetables, to used hand tools, to DVDs. Ask local residents or at the tourist kiosk for locations and times of the tianguis.
If you need help, either in finding special items or in shipping them home, there are several qualified individuals who specialize in such a service. One who has been recommended by many visitors is José Orozco's GuideWorks. |
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