In a novel I am currently writing, a couple goes to a “Chinese Night Market’ in Los Angeles. In this book the man has spent years in Bangkok and Singapore and compares the fictitious L.A. Night Market to the ones he has seen in S.E. Asia. Since I’d never been to an Asian Night Market–except vicariously through Anthony Bourdain–I went to the 626 Night Market in Arcadia on Friday night to see what an American version of the Chinese Night Market might be. It was fun. (It is also open on Saturday Aug. 9 and Sunday Aug. 10, 2015 and again over Labor Day weekend.
The Night Market was packed with thousands of people. Most street fair organizers would gleefully offer up both their first and second born children to have even half as many people show up for their fair or market.
Friday Date Night at the race track
The crowd, largely, seemed to be under 30 and many were on a Friday night date. Interestingly enough, English was clearly the primary language even though more than 80% of the faces were Asian. I actually didn’t even think about this until I overheard two men speaking Chinese.
Close to the entrance was the market area which, like most street fairs, had lots and lots of stuff you really don’t need, but a few things that might be fun or interesting to own, like a 3-D puzzle of a New York skyscraper or a bar of coconut-licorice-rose soap or a shot glass engraved with your logo.
If you were old enough you could have a free glass of beer. If you were too young for that, well, there was an area devoted to carnival-style toss and/or shoot games. Next to the vendors-of-mostly-useless-things, there was a stage for bands, singers, even a female rapper from Singapore.
Hundreds of food booths
The real attractions were the food booths. I’d guess there were at least a 100 of them, serving everything from raw sea urchins to churros with ice cream to Turkish kebab. (I had the ice cream and churros–yummy!)
BTW, the 626 comes from the area code for Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley–the ‘other’ Valley in Greater Los Angeles.
So here are some photos of what I saw:
