Six businesses in downtown Mesa will temporarily offer tattooing services this weekend. It’s part of a larger effort to attract tattoo artists to set up shop in the area.
Organizers say the event is a response to a now defunct city ordinance that required certain businesses including tattoo parlors to get city council approval to open.
"Hopefully, this will spark the light in folks that are interested in opening a tattoo shop in downtown mesa letting them know that Mesa is changing and we’re now able to do this down here," said Gladys Contreras, a small-business owner and a member of the Downtown Mesa Association.
In 2012, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that tattooing falls under First Amendment protection when the ordinance was challenged in court. The city of Mesa ultimately settled out of court on the matter.
In 2013, city officials enacted a new ordinance regulating tattoo parlors through factors like health and safety standards.
