Last weekend, Akemi, Ivon and I checked out the Summer Night Market in Richmond. This weekend, Akemi, Jessie and I checked out the similarly themed Richmond Night Market.
We arrived a little after 7:00 p.m. and, after winding our way and finding a spot in the massive parking area, walked to the entrance area. Unlike the Summer Night Market, there’s a $1 admission fee per person. Unlike the Summer Night Market, however, there are A LOT of varied food stands to choose from. And, really, when it comes down to it, that’s what it’s all about.
A pictorial rundown of our outing:
Following our eat fest, I suggested we walk around and burn off the calories, secretly hoping we’d work up an appetite in the thirty minutes it would take us to cover the many vendors. Alas, we stayed full – and didn’t really find much of interest. As we took our stroll, I made a mental note of the top 3 things I would probably never buy at a night market. In no particular order: contact lenses, underwear, and sushi. I checked out the dozen or so stalls selling assorted iPhone cases in the hopes of finding one bearing the S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia –
Like so!
Alternately, I would have loved to find one with an A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) logo –
Like so!
OR a Hydra logo –
Like so!
Alas, no luck. Akemi and Jessie, meanwhile, had even less luck as they were corralled into a sales pitch and were too polite to immediately extricate themselves –
I considered rescuing them but ultimately thought “Nah”. This was a powerful lesson on the dangers of stopping at any sales stand if you’re the sole potential customers.
A great time was had by all. Until we drove out, missed our turn, and then head to double-back, getting caught in a one hour traffic jam to leave Richmond.
And so, now that I’ve had the opportunity to compare the two night markets, I’d like to offer a comparison in very important categories:
LOCATION
Summer Night Market: Easily accessible by car but somewhat harder to get to by public transport. There’s a bus stop within walking distance and shuttle bus service from the skytrain station.
Richmond Night Market: Equally accessible by car and is easily accessible by the new Canada Line station. Unfortunately, if you’re driving, traffic is a mess and you should expect long bumper to bumper waits. Brutal.
EDGE: Summer Night Market.
FOOD
Summer Night Market: Roughly fifty food stands with a lot of repeats. On my last visited, I counted about five different places selling potatoes-on-a-stick. Variety would be nice.
Richmond Night Market: About three to four times as many food stands with some incredible variety.
EDGE: Richmond Night Market
VENDORS
Summer Night Market: About a third less of the vendors selling the same bargain-bin items.
Richmond Night Market: More vendors but A LOT of similar items being sold.
EDGE: Let’s call this one a draw.
COST
Summer Night Market: Free.
Richmond Night Market: $1 admission.
EDGE: I’m calling this one a draw. Unless you’re treating fifty of your closest family members.
WINNER: Richmond Night Market. Like I said, it’s all about the food. Get there early, 6:00 p.m. to beat the crowd, stuff your face and go.
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