Open-air night market returns to Chinatown with 30+ vendors
Photo credit: Adrian Childress
The Chinatown Night Market is returning this week with its largest outing yet. Taking place on Friday, August 11 in Forsyth Plaza, the Chinatown Night Market is a free monthly summer series hosted by Think!Chinatown. This month’s event, which will run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., includes more than 30 vendors offering delicious food, breathtaking live performances, and folk art.
Chinatown Night Market is the evolution of Chinatown Nights, which was an incubation program created in 2021 to support AAPI businesses, increase foot traffic into Chinatown after hours, and transform underutilized public plazas into safe, culturally relevant spaces for the community.
“Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Chinatown Night Market, the Think!Chinatown team has worked hard to expand the market area this season,” Yin Kong, director of Think!Chinatown, said. “We’re here to make more joyous spaces for our community to come together and strengthen our neighborhood.”
Friday’s event will feature live performances at approximately 8:30 p.m., 9:15 p.m., and 10 p.m. Performers include vocalist Annie YuRong Yu accompanied by pianist Victor Lin, and YiuYiu, a DJ who will be spinning some of her favorite Cantonese and Mandopop records and CDs given to her from families and neighbors as part of the “Chinatown Records” project.
Featured vendors include Kopitiam, YaYa Tea, Kuih Cafe, Yan Wo Dou Bun, Kam Hing Coffee Shop, The Little One, Xiang Mini Cake, Pinklady Cheese Tart, Sugarcane Daddy, Round K by Sol, Nha Trang One, Sanmiwago, Sister Ping’s Peking Duck and Noodle Stall, Grand Tea & Imports, and Yu & Me Books. Other food vendors include Cambodia Now, Pho Master, Whistle & Fizz, Twisted Potato, Mrs. Jiang’s Smoothies & Sweet Soups, and Tri.Club.
Highlighted folk artists include Dough Figurines by Xun Ye, Braided Straw Figurines by Meifang Shi, Sugar Paintings by Yan Sui, Paper Cut Portraits by Ming Liang Lu, Traditional Paper Cut Art by Ling Tang, Calligraphy Names by Mr. Tang, and Framed Calligraphy by Mr. Huang.
If you’re looking to celebrate Chinese culture even more this summer, Dragon Fest, which debuted as the city’s first-ever outdoor Chinese food and cultural festival in June, will return to Manhattan at the end of August.
Attendees can enjoy more than 100 varieties of Chinese food, including local vendors like MáLà Project, Pecking House, and Nom Wah, browse through Han-style clothing, and learn about Miao embroidery.
Dragon Fest will take place on August 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Broadway from 12th to 13th Streets, and on August 27 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 4th Avenue from 12th to 13th Streets.
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Great idea! It is about time they did something like this. We need to preserve Chinatown.