Jonabelle Timms wants to inspire you. As the founder of cosmetic studio Beauty Haus and matcha bar Zen Haus (its sister business downstairs), Timms has been attracting thousands of locals to monthly night markets in a quest to amplify artistry and the "collective" in San Antonio. Her goal? To provide locals with an opportunity to find things they can't get anywhere else, and to spotlight creatives by giving them a space to shine.

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"The greatest intention was to create something unique, bringing an experience that San Antonio hadn't seen before," Timms, a born-and-raised San Antonian, told MySA. She said the markets are an "act of love" to the Alamo City.

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The markets, held every third Friday of the month on the first three floors of the building and the area around it, run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. — a time frame that Timms said was selected simply to escape the summer heat. But it's also after business hours, allowing more folks the chance to swing by. Timms, who opened Beauty Haus in August 2021, describes herself as a spontaneous person who jumps on ideas as soon as they present themselves. That's why, within weeks of being in business, the night markets began to light up St. Paul Square. It's only grown since, especially after the opening of Zen Haus in November 2023.

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"Beauty Haus is the founder and really [the] forefront of the night market, but Zen Haus is a beautiful attribute to it, because we're able to serve beverages and almost have a unique space that people can go in and chat and meet and friends and kind of relax and look over the things that they bought at the market," Timms told MySA.

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What are night markets in San Antonio?

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For variety's sake, vendors at the night markets seldom repeat, and Timms told MySA that each month follows a new theme. In the spring, the "Haus in Bloom" markets took their name and inspiration from seasonal flowers like lavender, daffodils and magnolias. This summer, it's all about mangos, strawberries and guava. And for each market, Zen Haus creates a special lemonade flavor to go hand-in-hand with the theme. Timms said vendors — anywhere from 40 to 50 for a given market — will often take the theme and run, cooking up flavored baked goods or selling items in a particular color.

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"I'm excited to see how the vendors that participate interpret [this month's strawberry theme] as well. It is open for interpretation, per se. So I love seeing the creative ways that the vendors take it on," Timms said.

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But the momentum was almost stopped in its tracks early this year. After four years of markets, Timms told MySA that things nearly came to a close in February as rent became more expensive and prices went up. But a miracle happened when one of their reels went viral on social media. Their daffodil-themed March market boomed, and the team was working around the clock to keep up with the crowd.

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"We all, I think, after the market, just sat on the floor and just cried because we just didn't know that that kind of miracle is possible and that kind of support is even there. We don't even know where these people came from," Timms said.

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They've been on an uphill ever since, and the lavender-themed June market welcomed between 2,000 and 3,000 people, according to Timms. Because of that, the team is working to accommodate the crowds in the safest way possible, tweaking the layout of the vendors and adding more security. Timms told MySA the point is to make sure everyone has a good time, leaving happy and creatively inspired.

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The response has been huge, with social media comments celebrating how "St. Paul [Square] has NEVER seen this kind of activation and traffic" and foreseeing that the "revolutionary" markets will "going to gather the community for years and years to come." Timms told MySA it gives her chills just to think about how people have embraced her vision for the markets.

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"I truly do hope that one day when I'm no longer a business there — who knows when that will be, because I love what I do — that this culture stays, and that the impact and the feeling that we give people when they come and they vend, or when they just arrive and participate in the market, it never goes away, or it's at least never forgotten, because it really is a special time for us," Timms said.

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When is the next night market?

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The next market is this Friday, July 18, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The strawberry theme (part of the "Fruitful Summer" series) will bring in fresh strawberry lemonade from Zen Haus and a plethora of juicy finds from 90 vendors, ranging from baked goods to handmade items and art. Indoors, Zen Haus is open for matcha and coffee, and Beauty Haus is offering tooth gems, piercings and tattoos.

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After that, the guava market falls on Friday, August 15, and the final summer market will be a mango-themed night on Friday, September 19.

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Find it: Zen Haus, 119 Heiman St., Suite 200, San Antonio, TX 78205; Beauty Haus, 119 Heiman St., Suite 300, San Antonio, TX 78205

Editor's note: This article has been updated to accurately reflect dates of upcoming markets.