The 909 Open Market in downtown Pomona on Aug. 27 was alive with vendors, music and activities for all ages.
One area contained games including a bean-bag toss and a giant-sized “Guess Who?” game.
There were food trucks and stands offering tacos, a hibachi grill and other street foods.
Vendors sold clothing, jewelry and toy figurines.
Running the Tacos El Pecas stand was Luis Calderon. The stand had a fairly long line, though upbeat customers apparently thought it was worth the wait.
“My favorite part of this event is helping people and serving the community,” Calderon said.
A couple of teens on roller skates danced and rolled to the music as San Dimas couple Issac and Claudia Vermillion watched.
“It reminds me of skating on the beach in Cuba,” Issac Vermillion said.
“Downtown Pomona feels like a southern town,” Issac Vermillion added. “It’s small but more intimate.”
Claudia Vermillion, a first year nursing student at American Career College, said she enjoys the 909 Markets.
“I like the environment, the music. People are just doing their own thing,” Claudia Vermillion said.
At one point, police cars raced down the street, sirens blaring and a helicopter began circling nearby. Despite this brief interruption, though, Market visitors continued to enjoy the scene.
The Thursday Market event was from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Garey and Monterey Avenues in Pomona. The 909 Open Market hosts similar events at different times and locations throughout the month.
For more information visit 909openmarket.com.
—Tavi Gutierrez
Tavi Gutierrez is a junior communications major with a concentration in public relations, and a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Joseph Nocero is a senior photography major at the University of La Verne and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and photography editor for La Verne Magazine. His work can also be found at Joseph Nocero Photography.
