Costs cited as factor, despite efforts for reinvention.
Two night markets in Richmond now welcome visitors. The smell and sizzling of oil drowns the air, vendors cry out the latest deals and packed crowds move in tides every weekend.
Across the water in Vancouver, however, Chinatown's streets will remain quiet on weekend evenings as its own night market has been cancelled this year. The annual event has run for the past 17 years and would have opened mid-May.
The cancellation surprised many as the Vancouver Chinatown Night Market reported hosting record numbers thanks to the reinvention of the market by two first-time program directors, Tannis Ling, owner of Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, and Ken Tsui, a local pop-up event organizer.
The night market is organized by the Vancouver Chinatown Merchants Association, which attributed the cancellation to costs. Henry Tom, one of the association's directors, does not believe Richmond's night markets can replace Chinatown's, and many in the community shared his sentiment about the unique character the Vancouver event had cultivated.
For vendors like The Pie Shoppe, the night market represented an important opportunity to connect with the broader Chinatown community and showcase their commitment to the neighborhood.