We're hosting a market with 100 makers, food trucks, live music, tattoos + more ❤️

One spring, my coworker and friend Elvia Verdugo spotted me at the massive Made in Tucson market, bags upon bags hanging from my wrists.

Truth be told, my partner and I were redecorating our living room. We purchased macrame plant hangers, colorful concrete pots shaped as flowers and a canvas of a Joe Pagac mural, among my normal go-to finds (i.e. sparkly earrings and ube cookies).

When we were about halfway through the biannual market, we had bought so many items that we had to take the streetcar back to our parked car to stash the heavy purchases. Naturally, we hopped back on the streetcar to finish the rest of the market. I didn’t want to leave without seeing every single tent. 

I love local markets. I love meeting the people who spend hours painting, drawing and baking. I love seeing the uncommon wares — funky-shaped earrings that someone very tediously shaped from clay, candles that look and smell like my favorite sugary cereal, perfume reminiscent of our beloved monsoon.

I’m constantly inspired by Tucson’s creatives.

Come Saturday, Feb. 22, #ThisIsTucson is hosting a market featuring more than 100 local makers who will show off their handmade soaps, apparel, prints, stickers, ceramics and so much more. I hope you’ll feel as inspired by them as I do.

Here’s what you need to know

#ThisIsTucson’s third annual Tucson Together market will take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 at 55 N. Fifth Ave. — that’s the gravel-y lot right across from Hotel Congress. New this year: we'll be closing a small portion of the street in addition to the main space that we've used in previous years.

Beyond the 100 talented makers, you’ll find five food trucks. I’m already having trouble deciding what to get for lunch that day.

Our market will also feature a donation drive benefitting local nonprofit Youth On Their Own, which supports the high school graduation and success of youth experiencing homelessness. Please bring a donation to support them — here’s what they need for their mini mall, a free pantry for the youth:

• Mac and cheese
• Ramen
• Peanut butter
• Cereal
• Body lotion
• Shaving cream

What else? Local nonprofit Tucson Tome Gnome, a group of three friends who hide free books around town, will hide eight books — all written by Arizona authors — around the market area. Get there early to find a book!

Tucson Museum of Art will be in attendance with a station featuring coloring sheets and temporary tattoos.

Speaking of tattoos, Bushido Studio will be set up to do flash tattoos — the real kind, not temporary ones. They’ll be next to Sigfus Designs, who is bringing their massive charm bar where you can customize your own necklace or bracelet.

If you stop by #ThisIsTucson's tent, you can pick up info on a scavenger hunt, which will lead you to vendor booths to find an artist who is a Tucson native or someone who makes something with cacti printed on it. You could win a prize when you turn in your scavenger sheet at the end of your journey! Think tickets to Reid Park Zoo and Flandrau.

We'll also have limited-edition shirts designed by Darby Hunter Art and printed by Forward Printing!

And remember how I mentioned Hotel Congress earlier? The monthly Desert Haze Market — where you can shop all kinds of vintage clothing — will take place on the Hotel Congress patio at the same time as our market! You’ll also find live music from The McCharmlys — the show is free! — during the market. Their first set will be at 3 p.m., their second set will close the market at 4 p.m.

The gate between our market and Hotel Congress’ patio will be OPEN, so you can flow between both areas seamlessly — maybe even grab a drink from their bar and stay a while.

We owe a giant shoutout and all the thanks to the sponsors of our Tucson Together market: Local First Arizona, Beyond Bread, Hotel McCoy, Forward Printing, Dirty T Tamarindo, Ducky’s Pineapple Banana Bread and Startup Tucson.

Now what you’ve all been waiting for ... here are our lovely vendors:

*descriptions were written mostly by the vendors themselves and in some cases edited for style and/or length.

🍪 1989 Bakehouse — After years of people asking Roselena Trevizo for her baked goods, 1989 Bakehouse was born. Find NYC-style cookies and very fudgey brownies.

🕯 440 & Co. — This artisan floral and gift shop features hand-poured candles in scents named after spots across Arizona, plus a "Be a good Tucsonan" shirt and hat that we love.

🎨 A Touch of Tucson Art — Mackenzie Robb creates vibrant, colorful pieces inspired by the Southwest. She hand-paints purses and tote bags to spark happiness and an appreciation for Tucson, cacti and wildlife.

🎨 Aall Forms of Life — Nathalie Aall is a scientific and wildlife artist who brings the Sonoran Desert indoors through fun and accurate watercolor illustrations of our fauna and flora. Find notecards, stickers, prints, magnets and more desert-inspired gifts.

🎨 Alexclamation Ink — Alex Jimenez creates beautiful and functional products with original illustrations and artwork inspired by the Sonoran Desert and her Mexican heritage, celebrating the land and its people.

🎨 Alienkitty Designs — Kelsey Carlson has been an artist her entire life. She draws cute anime-inspired creations to show her passion for art and all the geeky fandoms she loves.

🍪 Ate Kei’s Filipino Treats — Kei Ann Mandanas makes desserts and baked goods with Filipino flavors, including cookies inspired by ube, chile mango, pandan and more.

📿 Beads Over Diamonds — Josie Rios is a member of the Akimel O'odham and Gila River Indian Community, and the beading artist of Beads over Diamonds who is inspired by the many colors of the desert and memories of growing up in Tucson.

🔔 Ben's Bells — This local nonprofit teaches communities about the positive impacts of intentional kindness. Shop items like handmade bell ornaments and learn about the Ben's Bells mission.

🫐 Better Than Provisions — Better Than Provisions shaves next-level granola to fuel your wellness needs. It's grain-free with no added sugar, built on a five-nut formulation. 

🚲 BICAS — This local nonprofit provides a range of programs where you can learn how to fix your bike or create unique art from recycled materials. They'll have recycled bike art for sale at the market.

✏️ Bronwyn Dierssen Studio — Bronwyn Dierssen is a self-taught artist who focuses on charcoal and oil portraits exploring health, identity and emotion from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

🎨 Brushes and Boots — Stephanie Daniels creates watercolor artwork inspired by the Sonoran Desert. Find cards, stickers, prints, mugs, totes and posters.

💪 Bushido Studio — Hector Valenzuela was born in Tucson and grew up fascinated by low riders, graffiti art and murals of Aztec warriors. As a high school senior, he was tasked with deciding between art school or a football scholarship. Though he chose the latter, art now surrounds his everyday as a tattoo artist. 

🥤 Byspookyselena — Selena Tootsie loves Halloween so much that she decided to make a business that flaunts spooky vibes year-round. Find custom spooky cups, keychains, bookmarks and embroidered tees.

🎨 Catherine Eyde Art & Design — Catherine Eyde's art graces tea towels, greeting cards, journals, tote bags and more. Her art has a Tucson vibe, embracing life and culture in our community.

🕯 CICADA — This brand handcrafts clean fragrances based on memories of the Sonoran Desert, including candles and perfumes with scents reminiscent of monsoons.

👚 Clever Stitches — Find modern hand-crafted designs incorporating classic crochet styles mixed with today's fashion, specializing in ethical and sustainable accessories in fun styles and playful color combinations.

🍔 CowPig — This family-owned business is a food truck favorite, serving up incredible burgers and chicken. 

💍 Coy Creative — Megan Coy believes earrings are good for your confidence and mental health. Coy Creative's goal is to help you feel bolder, brighter and more confident when you put your earrings on.

📿 Crafty Stunn — This queer- and Indigenous-owned business specializes in beaded jewelry and fabric crafts with nerd and pop culture themes.

💗 Cute & Classy Krispies — Ashley Cole is the krispy queen! Find homemade rice krispy treats in loads of flavors, including some that are vegan and gluten-free.

🎨 Darby Hunter Art — This business has a collection of 100-plus sticker designs, canvas paintings, 3D prints, keychains and more. The art is whimsical and cutesy with some added humor and desert inspiration. (She's also designing a T-shirt for us this year 👀)

🎨 Desert Dots Art Studio — Alisha Conner uses dotting tools and acrylic enamel paint to create mandalas and desert-themed imagery in the style of pointillism on functional pieces like coffee mugs, wine glasses, trinket dishes and flower pots.

🐱 Desert Girl Crochet — This queer woman-owned business specializes in crocheted items for cats, including catnip doughnuts and hats for our feline friends.

💍 Desert Horizon Designs — Find bold desert-inspired jewelry from this husband-and-wife team who share a love for gems and minerals. Their passion is sourcing high-quality stones and embellishing them with meticulous attention to detail.

💍 Desierto Designs — Here's where you'll find clay jewelry inspired by Rebecca Diaz's Mexican culture. 

🍬 Dirty T Tamarindo — Alana Solis creates authentic chamoy-coated candies with a cherished recipe that has been lovingly passed down through her family.

🍞 Ducky’s Pineapple Banana Bread — Ducky's makes air-fried pineapple banana bread with fresh bananas and juicy pineapple chunks. The bread is crispy on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside. 

💄 Emiliaxocosmetics — Monique Delatorre creates cruelty-free cosmetics, including lip stains, eye shadow palettes and shimmery highlighters.

☕️ Espressoul Cafe — This Persian-American woman-owned mobile cafe specializes in creative and flavorful beverages including vegan and dairy-free options. The goal is to bring love, kindness, creativity and community to every cup.

🥧 Everything Tart — This Tucson-based bakery specializes in tarts, quiche and fluffy gourmet marshmallows.

📸 Fork Tailed Media — Find photography prints inspired by a shared love for the natural world. From landscape to wildlife to astro photography, people can bring the beauty of the desert into their homes.

💍 Garms Charms Designs — Arlene Garms creates jewelry with gold fill, sterling silver and polymer clay.

🎨 Girthy Gochu — Hyejin Lee sells prints, stickers, cards and ceramic desk buddies under the character name Girthy Gochu, which is a playful nod to her Korean heritage, in addition to linguistic humor. In Korean, "gochu" means chili pepper, but is also used as slang for "wiener." She playfully blends humor and creativity with innuendos, puns and an adorable art style. 

🏺 Happily Becoming — Lisa Falk creates functional art in the form of pottery. She also makes hand-printed images. The images in her prints often inspired the images carved and painted on her pottery, and vice versa.

🧼 Honest Bars Apothecary — Brandon Cordova creates aesthetician-approved vegan skincare, from candles to soap.

👒 House of Hatters — What started as a personal collection of nearly 30 fedora hats has since blossomed into a full-blown custom hat bar.

🐶 Humane Society of Southern Arizona — Learn more about our local Humane Society, including their mission, resources and membership. 

🍿 I’d Smoke That BBQ — Find smoked gourmet-flavored nuts, popcorn, sauces, rubs and spices. Popcorn and nuts come in flavors like blueberry jalapeño and orange creamsicle. 

📸 JesseJ.media — This local landscape photographer specializes in night sky photography and has spent years venturing into the Southern Arizona desert to capture the natural beauty that surrounds us. Find his photos as prints in various forms.

🎨 Juju and Moxie — This colorful lifestyle brand creates functional gifts celebrating life's ups, downs and all-arounds. Expect everything from cards to earrings to tea towels to stickers inspired by pop culture and the desert.

💍 Juvelarto Designs — This jewelry is made with materials like brass, bronze, sterling silver, gold fill and some gold karats using techniques like hand fabrication and forging, casting, stone-setting and wire-wrapping. The inspiration comes from the Tucson community and the annual gem show.

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🧼 Kitsch Mood — Find hand-poured cold-process soaps and cute candles using molds handmade by artisans in Korea and soap-making techniques learned from Korean artists. 

🍬 Kubuli Crafts — Find freeze-dried treats for people and pets, including a selection with vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy-free options because everyone deserves something sweet.

📸 La Casa del Desierto — This brand celebrates the desert, drawing inspiration from our surroundings to create modern, soft and elegant prints and other products to celebrate heritage and the essence of home.

🎨 LaCuriosa — Here's where you'll find ink-transferred images on pine wood. The images are inspired by the magic of the Sonoran Desert and the universe at large.

🧼 Larrea Skincare — Julianna Asis creates small-batch skincare and moisturizing soaps with natural ingredients to illuminate your body and spirit through the power of plants. 

👚 Las Changuis Tianguis — Eli Valenzuela created Latine-inspired Las Changuis Tianguis as a love letter to her culture. Find attire, jewelry and accessories.

🪴 Lila Art — Lili Donovan has been an artist all her life, inspired by the beauty of Tucson from the sunsets to the starry skies. She uses bright, exaggerated colors in her planters and pots. 

💍 Lilith and Daughters — This jewelry brand got its start in 2020, offering jewelry and accessories featuring precious stones and metals to match all moods.

💍 Linked By Bri — Brianda Felix has been doing permanent jewelry for nearly two years. Get a necklace, anklet or bracelet perfectly fit to you.

💍 Little Rabbit Jewelry — This local clay artist is a mom, social worker, psychologist and potter inspired by the people, desert and culture of the Southwest. Find polymer clay jewelry.

🎨 Little Thorn Goods — Christina Thorness creates art inspired by her love of the desert. She offers canvas paintings, earrings and more because we all deserve color in our lives.

🕯 Light of Mine Candle Supply — This Black- and female-owned business creates hand-poured artisanal, luxury candles sourced from sustainable and organic coconut wax. 

🍕 Lumbre Pizza A La Leña — Leo Garcia makes delicious wood-fired pizza with Sonoran flavors like elote and carne asada.

💍 Luna and Saya — Marina Cordova creates handmade, whimsical jewelry from polymer clay and laser-cut wood and acrylic. She creates pieces that are an extension of your creative expression.

🛁 Luna Zen — Find CBD products for pets and people. Items include shampoo, healing balm and treats for pets, and bath bombs, lotion and facial cleanser for humans. 

👚 Made by Carmen Lucinda — This fiber artist uses mostly crochet to create vibrant one-of-a-kind wearables, accessories and trinkets.

🎨 MadeItMikayla — Find stationery with themes of both plants and positivity, plus cute gift items. Expect to see stickers, art prints, notepads, magnets, keychains and more inspired by growth, following your own journey and living eco-consciously. 

🧼 Mama Bear AZ — This middle school teacher creates desert-inspired candles and soaps, including candles molded to look like a saguaro wearing a cowboy hat and bars of soap with desert scenery peeking through.

🏺 Mehgan on the Moon — Mehgan Birkey creates ceramic and embroidered goods inspired by Tucson and her native Oregon. You'll find mushrooms, cacti and lots of colors on her pieces.

🏺 Melissa Henshaw Ceramics — Melissa Henshaw focuses primarily on wheel-thrown pottery, exploring unique surface designs and interesting ways to add color, pattern and texture. She finds inspiration in nature and enjoys creating pieces with a modern and whimsical flair.

🪢 Melrose Macrame — Even though Jessica Melrose is an art teacher and high school principal, she can't stay away from making things. She creates macrame plant hangers, wall hangings and decor from recycled cotton and elements from the Sonoran Desert and the Pacific Ocean.

👚 Mi Casita Press — Mi Casita Press uses print to share cute and powerful messages with the public. Products include stickers, prints, totes and screen-printed apparel.

👚 Mi Corazón De Mx — This Latina-owned family business is a curated shop providing handmade products from artisans in Mexico. Owner Rocky Bello believes in building a relationship of respect and love, and personally travels to small pueblos to source directly from the artisans themselves. 

🎨 Momotin Studio — Kristina Bejar creates kawaii stickers, prints and trinkets with an Asian aesthetic and inspired by pop culture.

🎨 Newjack — Find bold graphic art that blends vintage aesthetics with modern influences, drawing inspiration from street art, comics and gig posters. The artwork bridges traditional techniques like screen printing and hand-painted signs with contemporary design, resulting in visually striking, tactile pieces.

🪢 Nicolette Loves Knots — This macrame artist uses bright colors and rainbows to create pieces that are both fun and affordable. Her favorite items to make are her macrame disco balls and rainbow wall hangings. 

💍 Nomad Chainmaille — This maker specializes in handmade aluminum and stainless steel chainmaille jewelry and accessories.

🌮 OaxaRico — This family-owned business serves Oaxacan food out of a cherry-red food truck. Get tamales, molotes, flautas and more.

🍪 Pau’s Pan Dulce — This home bakery is known for traditional Mexican sweet breads and custom cakes, from soft and pillowy conchas to buttery empanadas.

👚 Planet Gabu — This woman-owned and -operated clothing brand includes an eclectic line of graphic tees alongside a collection of upcycled one-of-a-kind garments "where callous indifference meets crying over somebody else's spilled milk." 

🛁 Pure Poetry Cosmetics — Cecy Huerta's business reflects how she sees the world: in vivid, glittering technicolor. You'll find bath time treats, body care, nail polish and home fragrances inspired by pop culture and her own candy-colored daydreams. 

💜 Purple Tree Truck — In her husband's loving words, Davia Moore is a samba, capoeira and açai queen. This food truck serves organic açai bowls and smoothies.

🎨 QuantumCasual — Celene Arvizu is a multidisciplinary artist inspired by pop culture and the spirit of the Southwest, creating eclectic pieces that include paintings, stickers, clothing and accessories.

🎨 Rabbit Droppings — This local artist loves rabbits and dropping facts about life. Find cute and quirky art, including stickers and prints.

🎨 Rainbow Moon Designs — Every piece of art here is crafted with love and a sprinkle of kawaii magic. Hallie Cooke draws inspiration from Japanese kawaii culture to blend cuteness with functionality to create whimsical pieces including trinket boxes, earrings, apparel and more.

🎨 Robyriker Designs — This graphic designer specializes in both fabric and surface design, creating art and accessories like headbands, stickers, earrings and prints.

🔑 Safety Babes Keychains — This small business invests in safety with handmade wristlets that include self-defense items.

💍 Sigfus Designs — Lauren Valenzuela is known for her funky earrings and art, and more recently her charm bar. Customize your own necklace or bracelet with the help of her dozens upon dozens of charms.

🕯 Smells Like Dessert Candles — Find candles that not only look like desserts but smell like them too. Room sprays and carpet deodorizers are also on the lineup of items.

🧸 SoGayCrochet — This queer-owned business has a goal of spreading joy and support in our community. You'll find crocheted plushies including mushrooms to frogs to cats. 

🪴 Sonoran Desert Metal — Here's where you'll find desert-themed metal art, from quail to cacti to javelinas.

🧴 Sonoran Rosie — Rosie Crocker creates all-natural skincare, hair-care and self-care with hand-foraged desert plants. Crocker is also the owner of downtown shop Arizona Poppy.

👚 Sparrows & Sombreros — This art brand has an emphasis on Chicano, Southwestern and pop culture mash-ups in its tees, prints, stickers and more.

🎨 Spirit Of Cukṣoñ — This Tohono O'odham and Yoeme artist aims to increase or create knowledge about the Indigenous people of the Tucson area. You'll find clothes, coasters, prints and more.

🧸 Stefs Stitches — This stay-at-home mom turned her cutesy hobby into a small business, crocheting one-of-a-kind plushies from animals to characters from old cartoons. 

💍 Studio Nichoël — Find hand-stamped (aka hand-hammered) metal jewelry and gifts. The most popular items are bar necklaces, cuff bracelets, bookmarks and funny "emotional support" spoons.

🎨 SY Designs — This artist brings color to the desert with hanging tiles of saguaros, desert animals and sea animals. Platters are also in the lineup of items, which can be used as art to hang or for food, perfume and other trinkets.

🪴 The Glass Desert — Alex Berger Clamons creates modern stained glass home decor inspired by the desert. The pieces are great for plant lovers with green or black thumbs.

🧁 The Hungrywolf Bakery — Sophie Hungrywolf is a self-taught baker who primarily bakes for fun, but also loves to share desserts with others and hopes to show the community that there are spaces in the world for Indigenous bakers.

🍯 The Spice Jam — Here's where you'll find high-quality jams, organic tea mixtures, cream spreads and more to enjoy.

👚 #ThisIsTucson — It's us! Pick up a free sticker, spin our prize wheel and complete our scavenger hunt for the chance to win a prize. We'll also be selling limited-edition tees of a desert-themed design by Darby Hunter Art.

🎨 Toad Knot Studio — These handcrafted prism suncatchers are inspired by the desert and Tucson's constant sunshine. The hope is that the suncatchers will fill Tucson's homes with happiness and rainbows.

🎨 Tough Kitty Designs — Linnie Damm is a multimedia artist who creates handmade ceramics and other goodies right here in Tucson.

👚 True Descendants — This Tohono O’odham artist sells T-shirts, hats, prints and stickers with an emphasis on cultural history, humor and stories.

🍫 Tucson Chocolate Factory — From bean to bar, find unique chocolate creations using local ingredients. You may even find their take on the viral Dubai chocolate bar.

🎨 Tucson Museum of Art — Sit down to color a coloring sheet with Tucson Museum of Art and get a temporary tattoo while you're there. Learn more about the museum's mission and membership.

📚 Tucson Tome Gnome — After you hunt for one of the free books that Tucson Tome Gnome will hide around the market area, chat with the gnomes themselves. Tucson Tome Gnome is a local nonprofit of three book-loving friends who hide free books around town each month.

💍 Unearthed — Kathryn Peña-Hilander creates jewelry with intricate details that celebrate her love for Tucson. Most of her jewelry features scenes from our desert, as well as soft and delicate handcrafted florals.

🔮 Wisdom Body and Soul — This Tucson native offers products that promote well-being and relaxation, from essential oils and crystal diffuser jewelry to eye pillows, gemstone suncatchers, soap, self-care tools and skincare.

🎨 Witchy Wear Clothing — Find beautiful flowered suncatchers with crystals, as well as headdresses, fairy crowns and witchy tees.

🎨 With Light Creations — Desiree Gonzales mixes metaphysical beliefs with a love for pop culture to create crystal terrariums, mini altars and more, with the goal of creating an easy way for everyone to access their magic and express their "geeky self."

🪴 YellowBird Farm — YellowBird is a three-generation woman-owned family garden where native cactus and succulents grow. Find plants grown by YellowBird with vessels sourced and handmade. Handmade home decor and hydroponic house plants are also among the items to find here.

❤️ Youth On Their Own — This local nonprofit is a "dropout prevention program that supports the high school graduation and continued success of youth experiencing homelessness in Pima County." We're asking attendees to bring a donation to support YOTO!

👚 Zabana — Find clothing and art for the young at heart who are eccentric, edgy and fun.