Food, arts, and culture took over Oakland's Chinatown neighborhood Saturday night. Two blocks of 8th Street, from Webster to Broadway, were transformed for the inaugural night market there.
The market was inspired by the success of recent night markets in San Francisco but comes with its own Oakland flair. Screen printers pressed "Oakland Chinatown" shirts on site, Lounge Chinatown featured a cocktail inspired by Bruce Lee's Oakland ties, and guests got to sample and vote for their favorite dumplings in a special "Dumpling Olympics" competition. The event featured local DJs and electronic artists, which event organizers hoped would draw in a younger crowd who might become returning customers.
The market featured a mix of the traditional and the modern. Lion dancers blessed each of the businesses one by one, and DJs mixed electronic beats under the glow of flashing lights.
"This is something that [Oakland's] Chinatown has not done throughout our history. It's usually the traditional ribbon dance and some arts and crafts, but to have something this magnitude? That’s some progressive thinking," said Stewart Chen, the president of the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, which led this event.
"I hope the viewers at home, if you like what we do here, please come patronize our community, our merchants, our shops our grocers," Chen said.
OCIC leaders told the crowd at the market that plans for this event have been in the works for about five years now, as part of a larger effort to revitalize this neighborhood.
Chen said that crime, anti-Asian hate, and the pandemic hit this neighborhood hard, leaving businesses struggling and some neighbors afraid to go out. OICIC hopes this market helps everyone feel safer and brings some new foot traffic into the neighborhood.
"Oakland has great things, and this is one of them, and it's time for us to be on the footprint as well," said Darlene Wong, who runs hospitality and public relations for Lounge Chinatown restaurant.
Wong said this market feels especially meaningful to her as her family has generations of history in Oakland's Chinatown.
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"I am paying homage to the city where I was born, and this is my roots. So it's time for me to give back to the community as well, and it really brings it full circle," Wong said of participating in this market.
This market seemed to have worked its magic. Vendors saw huge lines, and guests said they'd come back for more. Chen reported that at the end of the event, OCIC believes between 5,000 and 6,000 people attended.
Chen said that if local merchants feel this event was successful, OCIC will work with the city and the county to fund more markets.
"I thought it was pretty fantastic to see Oakland Chinatown, almost like coming back to life again," said JP Sanchez who traveled in from Union City to attend the event.
Sanchez said he would like to see more events like this.
"If we are able to see and come together and support our wonderful communities, we gotta show up for them right? to make the Bay Area what it is: full of diverse wonderful people," he said.
