Night Market At The Capitol Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month

The Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce (SacAsian) is hosting its first “Night Market” in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on Friday, May 13 from 6 PM to 10 PM at the Capitol Mall.

The event boasts a carefully chosen lineup of 30+ local AAPI-owned food and craft vendors such as, “King Cong Brewing Co;” “Bubble Cone;” and Oak Park’s new, “Native Sol” to name a few. Additionally, there will be live performances by: Soosh!, Kiyomi, and Basi Vibe with a headlining performance led by well-known recording artist, P-Lo.

According to Matt Sumida, Director of Marketing and Community Relations for SacAsian, “Each musical artist has an AAPI background with connections to Sacramento.”

Engaging The Community

SacAsian typically hosts an annual installation gala celebrating the yearly successes of the chamber. Moreover, they are passionate about highlighting local AAPI-owned small businesses. Thus, pivoting from their annual gala to host an evening marketplace instead would provide a unique, yet interactive shopping experience for patrons. At the same time, the event offers a space to learn more about AAPI culture, and fosters community engagement in a multitude of ways.

“We want to bring the region together to celebrate our AAPI community – the people; the food; the art; the culture.  The past couple of years have been difficult for most of us, and particularly for our small businesses that have had to deal with a variety of challenges due to the pandemic. Additionally, we’ve seen a rise in anti-AAPI discrimination and violence across the country, with some occurrences happening in our own neighborhoods.The AAPI Night Market is our way of uplifting our community in a positive way that brings people together. With May being AAPI Heritage Month, we felt this would be the perfect way to celebrate

– Matt Sumida, SacAsian, Dir. of Marketing & Community Relations

History of The Night Market

The concept of the night market dates all the way back to the ancient Chinese Tang Dynasty. To that end, during that era, they were commonly found along busy streets in close proximity to nearby temples. The markets played a key role in social networking when commodities were high in demand.

Today, the Night Market is increasingly growing in popularity across the country. They have become an energetic hub full of commerce and a variety of entertainment. Most importantly, what remains the same is that the Night Market continues to connect small businesses with the community.

For this reason, SacAsian’s vision is to not only expose the richness and diversity of the AAPI community, but to provide a way for people to appreciate supporting AAPI-owned small businesses in the region as well.

“We want to provide a platform for local businesses; entrepreneurs; chefs; and creatives to showcase their talents. We will have 30+ local AAPI retail; food and drink vendors​ from across the region, and music and entertainment through the night. We want the community to come discover our culture and support our local businesses.”

-Matt Sumida, SacAsian, Dir. of Marketing & Community Relations

Planning Your Visit

Tickets are still on sale and costs $25 for General Admission. Tickets for students with a valid student ID costs $20. Also, senior Citizens age 65 and older are also $20 per ticket. Conversely, children ages 6 and below are free. Please note, tickets will not be sold at the door. All tickets must be purchased in advance prior to the event.

To purchase tickets CLICK HERE

Parking

Parking is encouraged at the garage located at 300 Capitol Mall for a discounted rate. The entrance is from N Street. The following parking locations are also available:

• 400 Capitol Mall Parking Garage (enter from 4th St. and N St. or 5th St. and N St.)
• 520 Capitol Mall Suite B3 (enter from N St.)
• 545 L St. (enter from L St.)
• 125 I St. (enter from 2nd St.)
• DO NOT park in the Macy’s Parking Garage at 414 K St. This parking garage will lock.

To view more parking options CLICK HERE

Public Transportation

Regional Transit is partnering with SacAsian to offer free transportation services to the event with proof of flyer. Simply screenshot the below flyer or visit: SacRT.com/FreeRideFlyer and present it to the bus driver or fare operator on the day of the event. Important to note, the flyer is only good through the evening of May 13 while service is available.

How to Find The AAPI Night Market

Entrance to the event is on 4th Street, and is the only point of entry.

COVID-19 Safe Practices

Although masks are not required, they are strongly encouraged. If you are not feeling well and experiencing symptoms, SacAsian respectfully asks that you stay home.

To access more information about the AAPI Night Market, visit the event page at https://aapinightmarket.com/

To learn more about the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce CLICK HERE