MOLINE, Ill. — Mercado on Fifth, the beloved weekly event on Fridays in Moline, will implement an admission charge.
Attendees 13 and up will have to pay $5 and kids 12 and under are still free with a paying parent or guardian. Anyone under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The new admission charge and rules were announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday and will take effect next Friday, June 30. The event will still be free to attend on June 23.
Maria Ontiveros, one of Mercado on Fifth's co-founders and acting director, made the announcement on behalf of the board of directors.
"Since day one of Mercado on Fifth, we have listened to our community to help shape and continuously improve the amenities and overall experience of our unique weekly event," the post read.
Earlier this week, the board of directors announced a cover charge for ages 12 to 20 "in an effort to deter ongoing negative behaviors of unaccompanied minors reported by staff and patrons," according to the post.
However, they edited this to include all people over 13 after community response asked them not to "single out the teens."
The money collected from the admission charges will go toward ensuring Mercado on Fifth stays clean and safe for all attendees. The event has grown to a level where the cover charge is necessary to sustain it.
"As much as we are here to provide a platform for minority-owned businesses, safety is our utmost priority," the post concluded. "We need the help of all attendees to make this happen."
Check out more news, event and weather coverage at WQAD News 8 Today's YouTube channel