Sunset Night Market returns in 2024 with 3 events, 8/30, 9/21, 9/27, the venue to be expanded to 7 blocks along Irving corridor

(SAN FRANCISCO) The popular Sunset Night Market created by Supervisor Joel Engardio in 2023 will return in 2024 with three night events on August 30, September 21 and 27. The Irving Street venue will be kept for two night markets and expanded to seven blocks aiming to accommodate 125 to 150 vendors.

The upcoming three night market events include two regular night markets on August 30 and September 27, both on Fridays, along the Irving Street corridor between 19th to 26th Avenues from 5pm to 10pm. Both events will become the largest night markets in San Francisco up to this day in regards to the venue size and number of vendors.

"It will be seven full blocks from 19th to 26th Avenues on Irving Street. A majority of the booths will serve food with a focus on Asian cuisine," Engardio said when he announced more details of the 2024 Sunset Night Market events.

Engardio, who represents the Sunset District, brought the idea of night market to Sunset District when he visited Taiwan in December 2022 with his husband Lionel Hsu immediately after he won the election in November.

The inaugural Sunset Night Market took place on September 15, 2023. It was the first Asian night market in San Francisco in two decades. Over 10,000 people estimated came to visit the 3-block long night market on Irving Street between 20th to 23rd Avenues.

Engardio's well-liked event has inspired organizers to hold more similar Asian food night market events at different neighborhoods of San Francisco including Chinatown and Richmond since the first Sunset Night Market was held in 2023.

Chinatown's monthly night market events in 2024 have expanded from three blocks and five blocks starting May. Vendors participating in Chinatown night markets only provided prepared packaged food in boxes except the famous Dragon Beard Candies hand-made by Derek Tam on site.

Engardio said the size and scope of the upcoming two Sunset night markets have made it very unique. "We are a full service night market featuring hot food. We are twice as big as night markets in other neighborhoods and feature much more live entertainment and music," Engardio was excited to announce more details.

"Celebrity Chef Martin Yan will kick off the August 30 Sunset Night Market. There will be multiple stages for entertainment and a kid zone for families with young kids. Don’t miss the stinky tofu eating contest featuring local media celebrities," Engardio added.

Stinky tofu has been one of the unique Chinese food found at night markets in Taiwan. A stinky tofu eating contest will be held during the upcoming Sunset Night Market.

In addition to two night market events, a beach party mixed with a night market will take place at Great Highway and Taraval Street on September 21, which is Saturday and six days prior to the September 27 night market, from 3pm to 9pm when it becomes dark.

Taraval Night Market & Beach Party is an edition of the Sunset Night Market series. "We are doing a special beach party edition at Great Highway and Taraval on September 21 this year, which will benefit the bars and restaurants on Taraval near the ocean," said Engardio.

The beach party event will be more music-focused with a dance party atmosphere along with food and drinks vendors as a night market at the Taraval Street corridor. "The sunset viewing countdown will be a fun part of the oceanside event," said Engardio.

Four organizations were selected as the 2024 Sunset Night Market producers, Wah Mei School, Sunset Mercantile, Into the Streets, and Asian Inc. They were awarded a grant funded by the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

Artyhood was selected to produce the Beach Party on September 21 under the same grant funded by the City.

Two night markets and one beach party are all open for the public to join as food or musical/entertainment vendors.

In the 7-block night market venue along Irving Street, Engardio expected 120 to 150 vendors would be accommodated. "We want at least half the vendors to be food related," said Engardio.

Engardio confirmed the applications for vendors to participate in the Sunset Night Market events would be an open process for anyone.

"Anyone can apply and we encourage everyone to apply. We will put a priority on Sunset vendors, a second priority on San Francisco vendors outside the Sunset and a third priority on vendors outside San Francisco," said Engardio.

Anyone who is interested in being a vendor at the Sunset Night Market can send an email to: SunsetNightMarket@gmail.com. For participating in the Taraval Street Night Market and Beach Party, any interested vendors may visit the website, https://www.artyhood.org/taraval-night-market-and-beach-party, for more information of application.

For the second year in a row that Irving Street has been chosen as a venue for two night markets in Sunset District, it is because of its convenient location.

"We are focused on Irving so we can perfect the event before moving it elsewhere. Irving is the easiest place to produce a night market because Taraval has a train to deal with and Noriega's business districts are separated by many blocks of homes," Engardio described.

"We want to get everything right on Irving so we can better move it to other areas where there will be additional challenges. The intent is to do night markets in the future on Taraval and Noriega," Engardio said a special beach party edition was added to benefit the bars and restaurants on Taraval corridor near the ocean.

Derek Tam, owner of the Dragon Papa Candies, was excited to be invited to join the Sunset Night Market events again in 2024. He was also invited to participate in night markets in Chinatown and Richmond District during the past year. "Night market is a great idea and is needed to support the small business community, especially during the post-pandemic years since 2020 when the economic activities have been very slow in San Francisco," said Tam.

Based on his experience in 2023, Tam hoped for more parking spaces at the upcoming night markets in Sunset District. "I parked my car several blocks away from the location where I had my booth last year," said Tam. Some visitors were turned away due to lack of parkings surrounding the Sunset Night Market venue in 2023.

"There will be more parking availability. We will arrange with UCSF to use their 7-story parking garage. You can park there and take the N-Judah train the rest of the way. We will also partner with more schools and churches in the area to use their parking lots and grounds," Engardio ensured improvement on the issue.