FOOD & Drink
Growing up spending his summers in Taiwan, the sights, smells and tastes of the night markets ignited something in Jonny Hwang.
So when he decided to open his own US-based night market in 2008, he dreamt of capturing the spirit of these open-air bazaars to celebrate Asian street cuisine and culture.
The result was 626 Night Market, which welcomes thousands of culinary enthusiasts over multiple weekends and locations in California each summer.
As well as sampling a wide array of delicious dishes from cuisines including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, and Filipino, guests can catch live performances, or shop for gifts, art and clothes, making the market a rich cultural experience.
“Being Asian American, it's helped uplift the community and help people learn more about Asian culture and cuisine,” says events director Susie Nguyen, who volunteered at 626 before being invited to join the team on staff.
“When I first started out, there was only one location and I loved coming to the event. It felt like coming home,” she reflects.
With 626 having expanded to become one of California’s most popular food festivals, Susie says she’s “amazed at how many people's lives we've been able to be a part of” when the team looks at their overall Eventbrite check-in numbers at the end of each year.
“It makes me so happy and proud that 626 Night Market has now become a memory in their lives just like it was in mine when I first started going as an attendee.”
So when he decided to open his own US-based night market in 2008, he dreamt of capturing the spirit of these open-air bazaars to celebrate Asian street cuisine and culture.
