This past Saturday I finally got to try out the 626 Night Market at the Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. Being that I live in the San Fernando Valley, this was kind of a trek for me. However, it was well worth the drive! One of my friends had gone in July & I took her advice – showing up at the gates right when it opened. Getting there early is crucial for someone like me who likes to avoid the crowds & long lines of typical food festival.
Let me be clear, this is more than just your average food festival. At the 626 Night Market, they have food stalls, games, music (DJs & live), free photo booth, retail vendors & of course, food trucks! It only costs $2 to get in (before 6pm) & there is tons of FREE parking.
Most food festivals in Los Angeles have a mix of American & ethnic foods. The 626 Night Market has a unique Asian slant. The name of the festival is derived from the night markets that take place in Asia & the “626” is a nod towards the area code that it takes place in.
Some food highlights for me are: donuts from Astro’s Mini Donuts, gingerbread men from Ginger Cakettes & corn in a cup from Father’s Kernel. My daughter & I received a free picture courtesy of the Santa Anita photo booth. I also won a free bag from Yelp & got free fans from Bobalife. Cloud Boutique had cute Tokidoki items for sale & we got a free tote bag for spending $20. My daughter loved it!
I was there for about 2.5 hours & felt like I could have stayed longer. However my 7 year old was getting tired & of course it gets more crowded after 6pm. If I was just with my hubby &/or friends, then I would have done another lap around the entire market & bought more stuff! Perhaps that’s a good thing for my wallet…
I found out that they plan on having another 626 Night Market on August 31st & September 1st. For more info, click here. TIP: It’s Labor Day weekend, so be prepared for crowds & get there right at 4pm. It’s definitely something to check out!
Real Mom of SFV 