Inaugural Sunset Night Market brings in a huge crowd, more ideas to improve future night markets in SF

(SAN FRANCISCO) The first and pilot Sunset Night Market was held on September 15. The inaugural night market generated a huge crowd with the majority of young people and young families. Supervisor Joel Engardio who is the creator of the project has committed to hosting more night markets starting next year.

"We created a night market in the Sunset. We couldn’t predict how the pilot would go because it’s never been done before — and what looked like 10,000 people showed up. Incredible," Engardio said. "We’ll have more food next time and expand more blocks."

Engardio created the idea of hosting the Sunset Night Market after he visited the famous Taiwan's night markets in December 2022 with his husband Lionel Hsu, who is an immigrant from Taiwan.

The first Sunset Night Market took place from 5pm to 10pm on Sept.15 on three blocks of the Irving Street corridor, between 20th to 23rd Avenues.

Prior to 5pm it began, people started showing up to come to the night market area. More people were joining once it got to later hours.

"I have never seen any street events filled with so many people and so crowded in the past years since we have had booths to sell Dragons Beard candies at street fairs in San Francisco," said Derek Tam, who is an experienced street fair vendor and the owner of the Dragon Papa in San Francisco. Tam established his candy company in 2016.

Tam believed that curiosity had drawn people to come to the Sunset District to experience the first night market.

Tam heard from his customers in the night market that they had been waiting and lining up to buy his candies for more than one hour. "It can be improved in the future night markets," Tam said.

"There had been too close between each food booth in the night market last Friday," Tam suggested to keep a larger distance between the booths and reduce each customers' lines affecting other vendors.

Some attendees felt that there were too few booths to sell food. Tam also agreed. "When more food booths are available for the customers to pick and choose, there would be fewer lines and fewer people in each line," said Tam.

Parking was another challenge for a large number of the night market goers. Lily Lo, Co-Founder of BeChinatown, is not a resident of the Sunset neighborhood. She was one of the early supporters of Sunset Night Market. Lo planned to go to the inaugural night market, but she was not successful.

"I couldn't find a parking spot after driving around the area for a long time. I saw people who parked at the Sunset Blvd and walked for more than 12 to 13 blocks to the night market. Eventually I gave up and left," said Lo. Some of Lo's friends also ended up without visiting the night market and left.

Lo suggested that the future venues of the night markets needed to be accommodated with adequate parking spaces.

Marlene Tran, a community leader in Visitacion Valley, also joined the night market all the way from the east side of the City.

"The totally awesome success of the first Sunset Night Market is the result of Supervisor Joel Engardio’s hard work and forward looking leadership," said Tran. "I was one of the tens of thousands of enthusiastic attendees, locally and afar, who enjoyed mingling with friends during the ongoing performances and enjoying food from different vendors. It was such a very uplifting experience that we all hope it will be repeated more frequently and, hopefully, replicated for all San Franciscans and tourists to enjoy."

Elected officials in the City attended the first night market, including Mayor London Breed and Assemblymember Matt Haney who introduced a legislation, AB 441, at the State Legislative to streamline the permit processes for night markets and farmers' markets statewide.

"The first ever Sunset Night Market is going off! Let's do this every weekend! Let's do it all over the city and the state!" said Haney.