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Fact Sheet

La Plaza is free, three-day cultural celebration featuring authentic handcrafts from Guatemala and eight states of Mexico, Latin entertainment and food.   Delicious, authentic Mexican delicacies and handcrafts will be available at La Plaza for guests to purchase throughout the weekend to “taste” a bit of Mexico.

La Plaza is an example of Mervyn’s commitment to serving its Hispanic guests with community programs, products, and marketing that appeals to their tastes and needs.

A Mexican Town Square

• Festive Mexican plaza encompassing 27,000-square feet of the Montebello Town Center parking lot, featuring an arched entrance, authentic wrought-iron work, blooming greenery in planteros, and a central gazebo.   All create an authentic Mexican zócalo with lush Mexican flowers including bougainvilleas, potted geraniums, and marigolds.

• Designed to represent “old- and new-world Mexico”, La Plaza has the look and feel of an outdoor marketplace where people gather to shop and socialize.

• The 10 to 17 foot Hacienda-style walls are designed to hold “hanging gardens,” and a kids’ area features a 40-foot wall with blank picture frames for children to fill in with their own artistic creations.

• La Plaza was created by a Hollywood production designer in nine months, will take 12 weeks to construct, and eight days to set-up.

Three-Day Entertainment

• Popular Latin entertainers will be appearing at La Plaza. Including:
• Nortec, Quetzal, Mayra, Jimena, and Yari Moré
• Performance and book reading by Mexican-American children’s author José Luis Orozco
• Great Master artisan demonstrations by ceramist Irma García Blanco and papel picado artist Pedro Ortega Lozano.
• Autograph signing sessions with Carlos Ponce, Edith González and stars from Nickelodeon’s Brothers García
• Cooking demonstrations by Aarón Sanchez , renowned chef and Food Network television host

• La Plaza guests will be entertained throughout the weekend with ongoing performances by local dance and music groups including:
• Trio Iberoamericano
• Ballet Folklórico
• Allegro Dance Troupe

Mexico’s Culture Through Arts and Crafts

• Authentic arts and crafts from nine Mexican states will be available for purchase:
• hojalata (tin), which can be shaped, stamped, punched, and cut into a wide variety of artwork derives from Guanajuato
• cerámica rústica (rustic pottery) and nacimientos (nativity scenes) represent Jalisco
• alebrijes (red carton demons), has its roots in the state of Mexico, where they are constructed and burned in purification rituals during Holy Week
• cobre (copper) pieces crafted in 16th century style made famous in Michoacán
• barro negro (black pottery) handcrafted from the famed Doña Rosa studio in San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca
• talavera -inspired earthenware (glazed ceramic), first created in Puebla in 1531
• máscaras (masks) fromChiapas
• joyas de plata (silver jewelry) crafted and made famous in Taxco, one of the oldest mining sites located in the Americas.
• telas (fabrics) hand-woven textiles by Mayan Indian women from Guatemala

Community Partners

• As part of La Plaza’s celebration, Mervyn’s will recognize the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) and East Los Angeles College (ELAC) with a community service grant of $25,000 each.

• Plaza de la Raza and Museum of Latin American Art will provide children workshops on tin, mask making, and papel picado.

• Several local, community-based cultural organizations will also staff booths throughout the weekend, including:
• scholarship information by Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)
• college information by East Los Angeles College (ELAC)
•  “Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art” information by the Natural History Museum
• American Cancer Society and Children’s Book Press will provide informational booklets

Contact

Ana Lydia Ochoa
Michele Murphy
Valencia, Pérez & Echeveste Public Relations
Mervyn’s
(626) 403-3200 ext. 224
(510) 727-2636

Press Release

Mervyn’s La Plaza Returns to Montebello Town Center September 19-21, 2003

Second annual event celebrates Latin crafts, entertainment, and food

HAYWARD, CA — Mervyn’s, a Target Corporation company, will celebrate the best of Latino culture at its second annual La Plaza, a free family event featuring handcrafts, entertainment, and food. The three-day public event is scheduled for Friday, September 19 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ; Saturday, September 20 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. ; and Sunday, September 21 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Montebello Town Center in Montebello , CA .

La Plaza is an authentically re-created 27,000-square foot Mexican zocalo (town square) constructed in the parking lot of the shopping center. A 12 foot arched entrance with authentic wrought-iron work leads visitors into the main plaza area, which is decorated with lush greenery in planteros, a central gazebo, a water fountain, and authentic Mexican architectural touches of ceramic tile and brickwork.

Inside La Plaza, guests will be able to explore the many riches of Latin culture, including a wide selection of authentic handcrafts for sale, artisan and cooking demonstrations, food booths, children’s activities, and a wide sampling of live entertainment.

“La Plaza represents our gift to the community in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Lee Walker de Sarvide, senior vice president of marketing for Mervyn’s. “Through La Plaza, Mervyn’s recreates the ambiance of a typical Mexican town squarewhere people gather to shop, socialize, and celebrate good times.”

La Plaza offers fun and entertainment for the entire family, including such highlights as:

• A mercado showcasing the arts and crafts of eight different states of Mexico and Guatemala . More than 13,000 handcrafts will be available for purchase, including: a collection of joyas de plata (silver jewelry) from the state of Taxco; telas (colorfully-woven fabric items) from Guatemala; máscaras (masks) from Chiapas; a wide variety of common household cerámica rústica (such as brown-dot pottery) and Tonalá pottery, both from Jalisco; cobre (copper) pieces crafted in 16th century style; barro negro (black pottery) handcrafted from the famed Doña Rosa studio in San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca; talavera-inspired earthenware (glazed ceramic), first created in Puebla in 1531; hojalata (tin), which can be shaped, stamped, punched, and cut into a wide variety of artwork; and items honoring la Virgen de Guadalupe, artist Frida Kahlo, and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

• A special display from the upcoming “Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art” exhibit being presented by the Los Angeles Natural History Museum and artist demonstrations by ceramist Irma García Blanco and papel picado artist Pedro Ortega Lozano.

• Popular Latin entertainers will appear throughout the weekend and sign autographs, including Carlos Ponce, Edith González, Charlie Bravo, Nortec, and Quetzal.

• Ongoing performances by local dance and music groups including a Ballet Folklórico showcase, a children’s mariachi group, and other activities for children.

• Cooking demonstrations by Nuevo Latin Chef Aarón Sanchez, co-host of the Food Network’s Melting Pot.

• Interactive craft booths for children organized by cultural non-profit partners: Plaza de la Raza Cultural Center and the Museum of Latin American Art .

• Dora the Explorer, one of Nickelodeon’s most popular characters, will make special appearances.

About Mervyn’s La Plaza

The second annual Mervyn’s La Plaza event sponsored by Saturn is a free, three-day celebration of Latin culture, art, entertainment, and food. La Plaza will be held September 19-21 adjacent to the Mervyn’s store at the Montebello Town Center and will feature top-name entertainers, Mexican artisans, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chef Aarón Sanchez, children’s activities, and much more in an authentically recreated Mexican plaza setting. Mervyn’s and Saturn are sponsoring the family event in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Mervyn’s will provide grants of $25,000 each to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and East Los Angeles Community College to support their work in the community.

About Mervyn’s

Mervyn’s, headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a family-friendly neighborhood department store with 266 locations in 14 states. Known for its big brands at small prices, Mervyn’s has a well-earned reputation for its extensive selection of national and owned-brand fashions and housewares. With hundreds of top national brands such as adidas®, Cuisinart®, Dockers®, Fieldcrest®, Gloria Vanderbilt, Haggar®, KitchenAid™, Lee®, Levi’s®, Nike®, Nine & Company, Samsonite®, Sideout®, and Unionbay®, Mervyn’s offers trend-right fashions for the entire family and the home. With a focus on improving the lives of children and families, Mervyn’s together with parent company Target Corporation, annually contributes more than $2 million a week to communities where the company operates.