If you’ve never heard of the “Richmond Night Market” before, today is the day. The mega-popular event title for 2023 is “Summer Wonderland – A Little Slice of Magic” and the market is back once again this year starting April 28th.
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There’s something magical or, some would say “nostalgic”, about the feeling you get when you walk into a night market. The darkness of night with the bright coloured signs, the sounds of people walking around, and of course, the smell of appetizing street food.
The Richmond Night Market offers all these feelings (and senses) at one of North America’s largest outdoor night festivals. It’s truly an event for everyone, I mean who doesn’t like a night out with friends, good food, live entertainment and an atmosphere like no other.
If you’ve never been to this event before here’s just some of what you’ll see throughout your night. First of all, there’s a giant 60-foot bouncy castle, how cool is that? (unfortunately, it’s for kids only). Look around and you will see market vendors selling anything and everything, from games, clothes, gadgets and whatever else you might imagine being sold at a night market.
(Richmond Night Market)
But what everyone talks about the most at the Richmond Night Market, and understandably so, is the food. The reputation gained from this event is one that ensures food and desserts from every part of the world, with a focus on the international side of food.
Some of the featured new foods for 2023 include food trucks from Indonesia, Turkey and Mexico. In total though, you can expect to see 100+ (yes, over 100!) food trucks that offer over 500 different menu options from drinks, food and desserts.
(Pexels / Pragyan Bezbaruah)
There’s plenty of opportunities to get to the Richmond Night Market throughout the summer. It will be open every weekend until October 9th. If you’re wondering how many people visit this place each year, the answer would be around 1 million!
Admission used to be free (many years ago) but is now $8 for general admission. The hours are Fridays-Sundays starting at 6 or 7 pm and stays open until 11 pm or 12 am depending on the week. There’s much more that this night market has to offer, so if you want to learn about its history and see everything it has to offer, visit their website at richmondnightmarket.com
As someone who has been to the Richmond Night Market many times over the years, I would recommend it. The food prices are quite expensive, but the ambience and overall experience makes it a night to remember.