Thousands of people gathered Friday night for another night market in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
The event was so crowded that Mayor London Breed pledged to work with organizers to close more roads for the monthly event. All of this is happening in areas where some businesses feel the effects of the pandemic are still lingering.
Participants came from near and far to eat at the market.
“That’s amazing,” said one person. “I have loved everything I have strived for.”
That’s exactly what Lily Lo wants to hear. She founded BeChinatown, a nonprofit organization that won a grant to host a monthly night market this year. Their popularity seems to be increasing.
“This is one way to create jobs and bring in more income,” Lo said. “People are really excited about this. I can only do it once a month, but some people want to do it every week. It’s very hard, it’s hard work.”
The market operates across three blocks of Grant Avenue, and its crowds impressed the mayor.
“Well, this is bigger,” Breed said. “So we’re going to work with Lilly to close more roads, because we need more space. We had so many participants, it was even bigger than last time. ”
For some Chinatown stores like AA Bakery, the time between night markets can be a struggle.
“For the past few weeks, we’ve been quiet. Chinatown is very quiet,” said owner Henry Chen. “But look today, there are so many people here.”
The allure of the night market has trickled down to new ventures, such as the first Chinese gay museum in the artist-in-residence space at 41 Ross, which shows off the area’s inclusivity. There is.
“We also want to communicate that this is a welcoming place and that the LGBTQ community is welcome,” said Jenny Leung, executive director of the San Francisco Chinese Cultural Center.
This is a new way for people to enjoy the historic district.
“So many people come for the night market,” said Cynthia Huey, one of On Waverly’s founders. “And I think what the new Chinatown really needs to be is find a way to speak to people.”
