SANGER – SAM Academy is upping its tempo this summer with a new series of outdoor markets in Sanger.
On July 1, families, community members and performers gathered beside Sanger Bible Church for the first SAM Academy Summer Night Bazaar. Taking place on the first Wednesday of every month through September, each evening market will bring an array of food and retail vendors, accompanied by multiple performances from academy students.
“What we want to do is just bring the community together on a weekday, especially during the summer when families might not have something to do,” said Elizabeth Barrera, office manager at SAM Academy and an organizer of the event. “We thought it would be a good idea to have a vendor fair to bring families out and enjoy different types of food.”
Barrera said that the inspiration for this summer series stemmed from the academy’s recent Cinco de Mayo event, and after seeing its success as a fundraising opportunity for academy programs, she wanted to give it another go while providing a fun space for the community.
The plan is to have a different set of vendors at each night to keep things fresh for repeat visitors, with this first market offering a variety of jewelry, crystals, baby clothing and more.
Another goal for the event is to have some new — and more — performers as the months go on. While each night will showcase staples like the ballet folklorico groups, the markets will also provide an opportunity for students to give solo performances of songs of their choice.
Melinda Salcido, executive director at SAM Academy, said that in the coming weeks, she will continue to motivate students to leave their comfort zone and get some exposure to the live performance setting.
“We definitely encourage our students to get out there, and we push them a bit — we give them a little patadita (a light kick) — to give them a little boost so they can have that confidence,” said Salcido. “It takes a lot of courage to get in front of people.”
Reflecting on the evening’s turnout, Salcido said she was glad to see people already showing support, and expressed hopes for a growth in attendance during the next two markets.
“It’s a beautiful event, and I really hope that the whole community gets involved for these kids,” Salcido said. “This is for Sanger, that’s what it’s about.”
The next two events will take place in the front parking lot of Sanger Bible Church, and will run from 5-9 p.m. Potential vendors, or those seeking additional information, are encouraged to call or text SAM Academy at 559-399-3090.
