626 NIGHT MARKET

The 626 Night Market is an evening event showcasing mouth watering foods and products from local businesses. It is an iconic festival of Asian culture, food, and commerce to the Southern California community.

The last Night Market quickly filled to capacity and many vendors sold out before the sun even set. Many people who attended complained that the venue was too small, and that the traffic and parking conditions needed to be improved.

This season, the event was hosted in the spacious forecourt of Pasadena City Hall. Vendor tents had been organized in a way to optimize the layout of the plaza, giving plenty of space for people to circulate. Parking at the venue was also very well thought out. It was a short walk from our car to event and the local shops of Downtown Pasadena.

Iris and I wasted no time walking around to see what all the vendors had to offer. We started off by grabbing some tea to cool us down, then moved on to the street food.

Aside from all the food, the 626 Night Market also hosted small businesses specializing in clothing, electronics, and even scooters. As a Honda Ruckus owner, I couldn’t help but stop by the BOWLS and Standard Functions booth.

I’ve only seen their turbo’d applications online, so it was really nice to see these fine crafted bikes in person.

Pasadena is foreign territory to me, so I was curious to know what was around the surrounding location. We took a break from the Night Market, and began walking down Colorado Street.

Bumped into this Alpina 7-series. Classy.

Smokey and the Bandit

Stumbled upon even more food.

Iris led me to this boutique that carried all sorts of nice sneakers.

Day quickly turned to night, and we began to head back towards the night market. I became hungry again, so we made one last round to grab food. I found Chris and the Zarlitos Family hard at work, cooking up some mean Sisig Tacos.

It’s safe to say we wrapped up the night on a full stomach. In my opinion, it seemed as though many problems of the past were addressed and resolved; clearing way for a very enjoyable experience. I look forward to see how events such as the 626 Night Market will transform over time. In a period of economic recession, it was very nice to see small businesses attracting such a large crowd.