By Brooke Vallier ’25

You find yourself immersed in the culture and cuisine of Japan, walking through a group of street vendors and listening to their culture’s music. You take a stroll to the right, and the smell of the Jamaican North is wafting through your nostrils. As you continue to stroll, you find yourself in Mexico, among delicacies like Tacos al Pastor and Tostadas. You’re not time traveling or at an around-the-world exhibition, but instead, you’re only 10 miles away from campus, adding to the nearly 2 million visitors visiting the Queens Night Market over the past eight years.  

Located in the heart of Queens, at 4701 111th, the Queens Night Market is one of the most exciting (and affordable) yearly events in New York. In a city notorious for its pricy features, it is rare to come across an event as high quality and cheap as the Queens Night Market. As of 2019, the market attracts up to 10,000 people (about the seating of a smaller sports stadium) every Saturday night.

Night Markets have existed in Asian cultures from as early as the Chinese Tang Dynasty in 800 A.D., inspiring notorious open-air markets like those in Taiwan. In 2015, John Wang opened the Queens Night Market. The market features over 100 independent vendors from 90 countries, celebrating the rich culture and diversity of the city. There are small-scale cultural performances and music, and everything sold has a price cap of $5 or $6. This includes all food products, groceries, beverages, and more. Speaking to the Science Survey, Wang said “In making it as accessible as possible, I hope people feel like they’re in a place in New York City that they can afford and be a part of, no matter what.”  

If you’re wondering how this price has been maintained over the past eight years, it is through sponsorships from large-scale companies invested in maintaining the culture of the city. For example, this year’s market is sponsored by Citizens’ Bank. The sponsorship money goes directly to vendors, who use it to buy goods and make their products. This way, they are able to sell their products at an affordable price while still making a profit. They are also able to maintain the quality and price by only opening on Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., exclusively during the months of April through October (with a small break for the U.S. Open in September). 

From my experience, the Queens Night Market perfectly represents the amazing and vast culture of New York City. Visiting this market is truly an experience like no other; you will really appreciate taking the time to travel there. Not just because of the cuisine, but because of the comradery at the venue. Not one of the vendors is set up solely for the purpose of making the most money they possibly can. Instead, like the rest of the crowd, they are there to have a good time and show off their appreciation of culture. Unfortunately, due to the consecutive rain the past few weeks, the market has been cancelled a couple of times. However, the Halloween finale is on October 27. I am excited about it and I hope to see you all there!