Richmond Night Market: More than Just Food

Thousands of ravenous locals and visitors have already satisfied their appetites at this year’s hugely popular Richmond Night Market. But while its 110+ food vendors continue to draw the lion’s share of attention from hungry attendees, there’s much more to experience at this fun-tastic annual event than fusion tacos and tornado potatoes.

Curious about the rest of the market? On our second visit of the 2024 season––which runs on weekends and holiday Mondays until October 14––we sidestepped the culinary offerings and checked out some of the other attractions and activities on offer. The perfect way to enjoy an outdoor summer evening in Metro Vancouver, read on to find out what we discovered.

SHOPPING EXTRAVAGANZA

There are dozens of intriguing and eclectic retail stands to explore at this year’s Richmond Night Market. And since it’s easy to miss some of these stalls as you rush towards the food vendors, we recommend slowing down or saving some time to browse them all during your visit.

Jewelry fans will find several sparkling stands to choose from. Earrings dominate and we spotted some adorned with unicorns, striped candies and––our favourite––cute cats in lots of different colours. There were also several popular stands selling handmade crochet creations, including teddy bear key chains and full-sized bouquets of ingeniously crafted flowers.

Clothing-wise, we were tempted by the stalls offering bargain-priced socks, printed with everything from soccer balls to smiling cake slices. And while one stand was selling T-shirts depicting each of this year’s main US presidential candidates, we preferred the far less divisive offerings at another stall: souvenir T-shirts of Canada for the amazing price of $16 for three.

That’s not all, of course. We also spotted stalls selling everything from shiny toys to art prints of animals and from smart phone cases to press-on nails in countless styles. And when we stumbled on a busy-looking temporary tattoo vendor, we were almost tempted to order a pair of matching red dragons––which would have been a great souvenir of our evening out.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FEATURES

It’s not all about shopping here, though. Now in its 24th season, the Richmond Night Market has worked hard over the years to increase its appeal to families, adding lots of kid-friendly facets to its offerings. This year, that means some brilliant bouncy castles––including the biggest one ever installed at the market––as well as a pool full of huge plastic spheres that kids can climb into and bump around in.

There’s also a special area filled with midway-style games that are popular with kids as well as adults. This is your chance to toss a ring, hook a duck or shoot a target and win that gigantic plushy pig or oversized SpongeBob stuffy that’s been missing from your life all these years. Sadly, we failed to win the banana-eating pig we wanted––but we saw several grinning marketgoers carrying their giant porcine prizes around throughout the evening.

ENTERTAINMENT GALORE

Included with your admission ticket, there’s also a cavalcade of performers to slow down and enjoy at the market this year. On our visit, we spotted a talented juggler tossing multiple pins while balancing on a seesawing board. We also saw a performer introducing visitors to a large and friendly live snake, coiled around their neck and languidly flicking its tongue at curious passersby.

The best entertainment, though, is on the covered stage, located near the market’s main entrance. Every night during the season, crowds gather here to catch performances from community choirs, local musicians and even K-pop bands––there’s something different on stage every evening. On our visit, dozens of junior hip-hop dancers delighted the cheering audience with their energy, talent and smiling performances.

PIT STOP

Although food wasn’t the focus of our visit this time around, a couple of hours in, it was definitely time for us to fuel-up. The fading sunset was still streaking the sky with hues of orange and purple as we explored the rows of steaming food stands. It felt as if we were wandering around a bustling evening street market in the heart of Asia. And the choice of dishes was astonishingly diverse.

This year’s Instagram-popular culinary creations at the Richmond Night Market range from flying cup noodles to foot-long super fries and from sushi hot dogs to crème brûlée crepes. But we opted for a finger-licking visit to the Karaage King stand, where we dived into an utterly delicious order of succulent, deep-fried teriyaki mayo chicken. It was the perfect finale to a great night out.

IF YOU GO

This year’s Richmond Night Market operates until October 14. It runs on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays. The current hours are from 7:00pm to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and from 7:00pm to 11:00pm on Sundays and holiday Mondays. Note that hours may change slightly as the season progresses. Admission is $8.50 (seniors and under-7s are free), while a handy $40 Zoom Pass––which includes its own express entrance––covers five admissions throughout the season.

Last Updated on August 12, 2024 by Tourism Richmond