In New York City, the Queen's Night Market officially reopened as of June 19, 2021. It served up (and will continue to serve up) many tasty treats for hungry New Yorkers craving some fantastic and wonderful multicultural food.
This market is known to attract a really large crowd, making it an instant hit with the locals and tourists. Last year, the market was missing due to ongoing world events.
The Queen's Night Market is located in the northern part of Queen's, New York City, specifically on Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.
You see the map below if you don't know where that is:
On the east side, the park is bounded by the I-678 and on the west side, it is located right by Grand Central Parkway. To the north of the park is Flushing Bay, and to the south end is the Union Turnpike.
Celebrating Diverse and Multicultural Food
On the upside, tourists, people, and even residents who live in and around the neighbourhood got to see the boisterous and bombastic array of diverse cultures. If anything, food bonds a lot of people together, regardless of one's culture, creed, and many more.
Many vendors were excited to get back to work at the market, especially when the market first opened six years ago.
Here's a video from Legaspi Sauce, who has visited the market:
The Founder
The founder of the market is 39-year-old John Wang. John Wang is a former corporate lawyer. He eventually quit the legal profession to launch the market back in 2015.
He basically wanted to recreate the accessible and affordable markets from his youth. For example, he visited family in Taiwan every summer as a kid and wanted others to have similar memories.
Of course, John had his doubts on whether or not the market would be a success, especially since he had little to no experience in food service or even event organization.
However, the event attracted many people (over the years) and the turn-out was really great this year:
“It [the venue] felt kind of harmonious. Collectively, everyone was like ‘We can’t wait to come back.’”
A Resounding Success
Despite John's fears, the market really took off and attracted 100 vendors. The park, located behind the New York Hall of Science, probably drew in people from there too. For the 2021 reopening, there were 80 vendors this time around.
As John mentioned:
“It really looks like the cross-section of New York. It’s not all hipsters, it’s not all upper middle-classers. It’s what New York City looks like."
One can't help but agree. At the heart of New York is multicultural talent and cuisine from various walks of life, including those who are always hustling.
Here's a video of the market back in 2018:
Fun Times in 2021
During the 2021 event, live music played on stage, and grills were fired while people sat at the various picnic tables to have some great meals and drinks. One can assume that the smells from those dishes really added to the wholesome vibe.
One can find a variety of different international tastes and flavors. These can include chimney cakes from Hungary and Romania, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, Tibetan dumplings, and Salvadoran tamales, and many more.
Open for Everyone
Basically, there's a little something for everyone.
With things reopening once again, it's probably a welcome surprise to engorge yourself on the various international treats out there. Many people missed their old comfort foods because of ongoing world events and need something new to look forward to.
Why It Reopened in July Instead of April
Normally, the Queen's Night Market would have opened back in April but the organizers wanted to be super prepared and ready, just in case. For now, the market will be open from 6:00 PM to midnight on most Saturdays through October.
Good Vibes Only
To see the vendors and locals super excited was amazing. As Sharon Medina, the market's social media handler reportedly stated:
“The vendors are super excited. Behind every tent, there are families who work together. There are grandmothers and aunties and uncles who work with them. It’s a really good family experience.”
Final Thoughts
It's great that in a year like 2021, the market was able to reopen once more. Perhaps business will speed back up and people will try to taste more international foods. The people of New York deserve some happiness, and food is a great way to satisfy our bellies.