Mercado de Sonora (Sonora Market) is a city-established traditional market, located just southeast of the historic center of Mexico City in the Colonia Merced Balbuena neighborhood. It was established in the 1950s with a number of other similar institutions in order to help regulate retail commerce in the city. This market has specialized in a variety of merchandise such as pottery, party items, and live animals — and the two which make it notable, herbal medicine and items related to magic and the occult. Establishment Mercado de Sonora was one of a number of mercados públicos or public markets established by the city government in the 1950s, along with others such as Mercado Jamaica and the La Merced market. It is part of a number of mercados públicos or public markets established by the government to better organize and regulate retail commerce. It is derived from the pre-Hispanic tianguis or street market tradition, which still continues. It was originally set up with a large parking area for cars, but over time this space dwindled as the market grew. The official opening of the market was in 1957. For the market's 50th anniversary in 2007, there was a large party with actress Edith González as special guest. The event also included mariachis and a limpia or cleansing to rid the establishment of any negative energy. The facility The market is located in the Colonia Merced Balbuena neighborhood of the Venustiano Carranza borough. This site is traditionally commercial, located near an old fire station. The area used to contain exclusively narrow, haphazard streets, but around the same time as the market, a number of main thoroughfares (called ejes) were built and now surround most of the complex. However, the areas behind the market still contain the old, narrow streets. The building consists of a single large nave mostly constructed of metal. Inside, there are a number of narrow aisles containing stalls owned or rented by individual merchants. Most merchants are grouped by the type of merchandise they sell, such as party supplies, dishes, and pets. What little parking lot is left is filled by street vendors. On Saturday, when the market is busiest, these vendors overflow from the parking lot onto the surrounding narrow streets. These and various trucks and other vehicles block traffic, effectively closing the streets. The scene is noisy, filled with shouts of vendors and music blaring from stands