Asian Night Market – Memphis Flyer

Last Saturday, July 20th, the 2024 Asian Night Market attracted thousands to Tiger Lane. The second annual event was moved from the Crosstown Concourse, where it was held last year, since the crowds were so much bigger than anticipated. It was a good move because this year’s event was absolutely huge.

I was there with my trusty iPhone camera rig to capture the sights and sounds of the sprawling street fair, which brought together the Asian American communities from all over the tri-state area. I wish could have captured the smells, too! Food cooking in dozens of tents, and spices from all over the world, made this little corner of Midtown an olfactory heaven for one glorious evening. Despite the occasional logistical snafus incurred by any rapidly growing public event, a good time was had by all. Take a look.

For Memphis’ first-ever Asian Night Market last summer, organizers thought 2,000 people would show up, maybe 4,000. Within 30 minutes of opening, they quickly learned that wasn’t going to be the case. An estimated 8,000 attended. They packed Crosstown Concourse, the site of the event, pushing traffic all the way back to the Memphis Zoo.

To say the organizers were a bit underprepared for such a turnout would be an understatement, but the sense of community was overwhelming, says Quynh Tran, one of the market’s founders and president of the Vietnamese American Community. There was really no question of whether there’d be a year two. They just needed a bigger venue, so this year’s will be held at Tiger Lane and the Pipkin Building.

“The idea was to bring back the night market in Asia to the people in my community, which is the Vietnamese community,” Tran says of the market’s origins. “And so when we were brainstorming it, we realized that the night market doesn’t just happen in Vietnam; it happens in almost all of the Asian countries, in different ways. So we created an Asian Night Market and recruited all of the Asian communities to participate. …

“And when I speak with other communities, leaders from other Asian countries, they’re really excited. Some communities are very small here, so they really appreciate this kind of event because they need to showcase their food, their culture, and participate in something like this to have some visibility in Memphis.”

Last year’s market had about 30 food vendors, with some vendors and attendees traveling from Mississippi, Arkansas, and Nashville. This year’s will have about 60 food vendors, plus 20 non-food vendors. The food vendors will be from restaurants, food trucks, and “mom and pops, which means all of their food is homemade, things that you won’t be able to find at a restaurant and you can only really find at the night market once a year.” Tran also says that some restaurants and food trucks will create dishes to try out at the night market, too.

The event will also have a full schedule of cultural performances including a Vietnamese lion dance, a Chinese martial arts demonstration, and a performance by the Filipino band 1-900. Kids can enjoy face-painting, inflatables, and a balloon twister.

“I want this to become a memorable experience and something that people are longing for and looking forward to every year,” Tran adds. “I hope that they can experience what the night market in Asia would be like. We try to bring that experience here the best that we can.”

Tickets can be purchased in advance at tinyurl.com/446mtfh8. Kids 12 and under get in free.

Asian Night Market, Tiger Lane, Saturday, July 20, 3-11 p.m.