Shop, eat and live music are all part of Brownsville's first vendor fair of the year. It's called First Friday, and it's free to the public.

The stage has been set with live bands scheduled to perform on Friday night. The event is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Small business owners are also getting ready to kick off the first First Friday of the new year at Market Square in downtown Brownsville.

Vendors are setting up shop and getting ready to show off their wares to visitors.

"First Friday, I really love it, because just the energy, the vibe of people. People are always happy and upbeat, there's always live music," vendor Penelope Cordova said.

Cordova is the owner of Crochet by Penelope. If you walk by her booth, you'll find plushies she spent hours crocheting by hand. It's a hobby she enjoys; she also enjoys talking to shoppers.

"A great outcome, to meet new people, to sell out. That's always the goal, but mainly to meet new people," Cordova said.

Cordova started selling her hand-crafted wares at Brownsville's First Friday last summer. It's an event that business owners started in 2019 and was then taken over by the city in 2022.

Now, nearly seven years later, it includes live music, fresh food, entertainment and art.

"You're going to find that feel, I guess that culture local Brownsville feel," Brownsville Commissioner At-Large A Tino Villareal said.

Villareal says it embraces the Brownsville culture, and it's also a way for the city to attract more people to downtown and its nightlife.

"I think it's accomplished people seeing downtown as a friendly place to come," Villareal said.

The event happens the first Friday of every month.

As the new year kicks off, Cordova is hoping for a strong 2026.

"I'm very happy to see what this new year brings for me and for my markets and for First Friday," Cordova said.

The event is scheduled to go on until 11 p.m. and is free to enter.

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