Patch Blog: 626 Night Market--A Place to Hone Entrepreneurship

I still remember when I attended the first 626 Night Market at Old Town Pasadena when I was overwhelmed with the mountain of people and sea of cars all stuck together on a holding pattern; reminded me of the traffic grid lock on any of our freeways during rush hours...

On a statement release by the organizer:

The 626 Night Market returns for its third event at its new home at Santa Anita Park for two consecutive nights on Saturday, October 20th from 3PM to 1AM and Sunday, October 21st from 3PM to 11PM. The City of Arcadia granted an extension of the market hours to achieve a more authentic Asian night market feel. Admission is free of charge and the events will be staged in Santa Anita’s spacious infield area.

Find out more about this weekend's 626 Night Market here.

Both nights of the largest Asian night market in the U.S. will feature Asian street foods and a bevy of local businesses and new entrepreneurs. The 626 Night Market aims to entertain people of all ages, featuring live DJs, a dance floor, sumo wrestling, movie screenings, performance artists, and games.

The most recent 626 Night Market, which was held this past July in Pasadena, attracted a crowd estimated at 40,000. 

On that note, I certainly could relate to why Johnny Hwang, the co-founder of the 626 Night Market, shied away on that first event's details when he addressed the media questions at a 10-17-12 press conference - "The journey of the becoming of the 626 Market...now that this is their third time...will that be the charm?"

“The 626 Night Market team is working closely with the City of Arcadia and Santa Anita Park to make the two-night cultural experience smooth and enjoyable for our patrons,” said Jonny Hwang, 626 Night Market organizer. “The 626 Night Market is proud to be a community platform for many first-time local entrepreneurs who are pursuing their dream of running a business.” 

Certainly the hot topic in the news in the presidential and local elections is JOBS JOBS JOBS...well...the 626 Night Market provides a platform for many of their vendors of all ages, a venue and an opportunity to hone their craft of entrepreneurship. That is what I call living the American Dream.

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work," said Colin Powell.

Let's all do our part to support our local community by attending this fun fair right at our backyard.

Going to the 626 Night Market this weekend? Share your 626 Night Market photos on Patch here.