María G. Rendón, associate professor of urban planing and public policy, above, led a lecture at Mercado González Northgate as part of the new Spotlight OC program.
Program unites residents through learning, networking
As Mercado González Northgate Market in Costa Mesa filled with shoppers, eaters and drinkers on a typically bustling Saturday morning, a group of people near the front entrance made a circle around Megan Moriarty, the UC Irvine Division of Continuing Education’s manager of instructor support and professional development.
Holding a sign that read “Spotlight OC,” Moriarty detailed the morning’s itinerary for the crowd of enrollees in the new lifelong-learning program that, four times a year, gives Orange Countians insider access to the people and places shaping the region, along with UC Irvine faculty and subject experts who put it all in context.
The first stop for Spotlight OC, the Mercado at 2400 Harbor Blvd. is a 37,000-square-foot, immersive Mexican food hall and grocery store designed to feel like a traditional, vibrant Mexican mercado. Founded in 2023 by Anaheim headquartered Northgate Markets, the Mercado is billed as a “culinary adventure” with more than 20 food stalls, an upscale restaurant, artisanal crafts, food-making classes for young and old and even live music. A huge crowd turned out recently for an appearance and musical set by DJ Deorro.
Spotlight OC is a project of Continuing Education, the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational & Community Partnerships, University Advancement & Alumni Relations and the School of Social Ecology, which was represented at the April 18 inaugural event by Dean Jon B. Gould and the day’s faculty expert, María G. Rendón of the Department of Urban Planning & Public Policy.
Moriarty gave up the floor — or, in this case, concrete entryway — to Lupillo Ramirez, who is Northgate corporate’s senior director of innovation and product development, chairman of the board of the Latino Food Industry Association and, for this event, trusty tour guide.
Ramirez took his contingent all over the store, frequently stopping to give detailed explanations. The gathering bounced from the intense tortilla-making operation and intoxicatingly aromatic Mexican bakery to a stand where Ramona passed out small cups of fresh guacamole and the four different walls indoors and outdoors with brilliantly colored murals by Guadalajara-based artist Claudio Limón.
“Walking through Northgate Market's Mercado was a vibrant masterclass in the intersection of commerce, history and community,” observed Gould.
The immersion into the sprawling facility’s sights, sounds, smells and tastes combined, the dean said, to create “an incredibly positive experience that perfectly highlighted the cultural heartbeat of our region.”
The tour ended in a corner of the outdoor dining patio, where Alexandra Garcia, program manager of Continuing Education’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Spotlight OC, introduced Rendón for the informal faculty talk.
“We just got a tour of the very rich culture and cuisine of Mexico,” Rendón began. “And you got a sense that, depending on what region you’re from in Mexico, you are going to try something slightly different.”
The scholar attributed those differences to the various influences that have shaped Mexican music, culture and cuisine over the years from different parts of the world, including Africa, China, France and, of course, Spain. The sociologist, whose research focuses on how immigrants adapt to American society, called the Mercado “a special place” for both Mexican-born individuals, who are reminded of the outdoor markets of their youth, and everyone else who ventures in because, well, “a place like this is so happy.”
“In my urban planning classes, I introduce my students to third spaces,” Rendón noted. “Not your home. Not your work area. Those places where you just get to hang out and relax and spend some time with friends and family. Research shows that one of the strongest predictors of health and well-being is social connection and sharing and spending time. This place is one of those third spaces, right? It’s pretty accessible, it’s pretty affordable, and it’s one of those spaces where people of different classes and racial and ethnic backgrounds get to come together and learn from one another and share food and culture in each other's presence. These places are very important in society.”
Gould no doubt agrees, as days later the tour still left him pumped up — and ready for more.
“The energy we felt at the Mercado is just a glimpse of what’s to come — it sets a fantastic precedent for future Spotlight OC classes, ensuring that our participants will walk away not only with a deeper appreciation for Orange County but with a profound, lasting sense of local cultural enrichment.”
The next Spotlight OC will take place June 13 at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department – Coroner’s Division in Santa Ana. Registration is now open.
— Matt Coker
Event photos are available on Flickr.
Features