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Night Market: Summer’s Last Celebration


Summer is on its last legs. There’s a chill lurking in the morning, the sun sets just before 7PM and you can sit outside at night without constantly swatting mosquitos. The end of summer also signals that the public festivities that seem so common in July will start to slow down. Fishtown still has time for one last warm-weather hurrah though: the Night Market will be visiting our streets on Thursday, October 1.

Night Market Philadelphia is an event put on by The Food Trust, an organization dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food and the knowledge to make healthy decisions. They started Night Market in 2010 as a way to highlight various neighborhoods’ food, culture and arts scenes.

While October 1 will mark the first time Night Market has come to Fishtown, it will be the event’s 20th rendition and the second time they have come to the Riverwards, having visited in Northern Liberties in 2012. The event is being co-hosted by the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) and sponsored by Green Mountain Energy. Neighborhoods like University City, West Oak Lane and Washington Avenue have hosted Night Market in the past. Given what they look for in a Night Market host ‘hood, it’s easy to see why Fishtown was chosen.

“One of the main reasons why we do Night Market is to highlight great communities and neighborhoods we feel have a lot of amazing things to offer that might not get the exposure that they should get.” said Diana Iskolsky Minkus, Night Market’s Project Manager at The Food Trust. “We’ve been talking to [NKCDC] for a couple years about potentially coming to the Frankford Avenue and this year felt right. There’s so many exciting things going on in the neighborhood, great restaurants, there’s a great art scene, there’s other really cool stores… It just felt like a really exciting time to highlight Fishtown.”

Beyond just putting on a good time for everyone that attends, the event presents an opportunity for local businesses to benefit from a boost, both short and long-term.

“We were really excited about partnering with The Food Trust, because we have watched the Night Market grow and become a great asset in Philadelphia. It’s a huge opportunity to promote this neighborhood throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region and draw more repeat foot traffic to our commercial corridors even beyond the night of the event itself,” said Joanna Winchester, Economic Development Director at the NKCDC.

It might be hard to imagine that just one event could draw such a crowd but as those who have attended other Night Markets can attest, it will be packed. According to The Food Trust’s algorithms, the estimated attendance should be somewhere near 25,000 people. Between 6PM and 10PM, these people will all be on Frankford Avenue between Girard and Palmer. You should be prepared to rub elbows with a lot of strangers.

The Fishtown Night Market will feature a lot of entertainment for the attendees. There will be two stages (pointed towards the Market to minimize noise on the side streets) with live music. But the biggest draw of the event? Simple. The food.

“People should be prepared to eat,” said Iskolsky.

Night Market will feature food from local favorites like Ramona Susan’s Bake Shop, Good Spoon Soupery, Kensington Quarters, Fette Sau, Cook & Shaker and many more. Fishtown Social will have a small table outside their upcoming location at 1525 Frankford Avenue giving a preview of what’s to come at the future wine bar. Many businesses along Frankford may also keep later hours to take advantage of the crowd, even if they don’t have a dedicated vending table.

Night Market organizers emphasize the importance of streamlining the process of serving food for businesses who are planning on setting up vendor stations. If they followed the guidelines provided by The Food Trust, businesses should only have a few items that are quick to prepare and serve available on their menu. Vendors will also likely offer cheaper, smaller portions than normal so that guests don’t fill up at one place and are able to sample the widest-possible array of Fishtown fare.

While the event is family-friendly, it does usually get significantly more crowded an hour or so after Night Market starts. Many recommend that families with small children may want to try to visit earlier so they don’t have to worry about the densest crowds.

The Spirit is holding a Night Market photography contest that will coincide with the event. We’re offering two tickets to see Misterwives at the newly-opened Fillmore as the prize for the best picture. For information on how to enter and contest rules, check out our website or social media pages.

Even though the event might frustrate some of those who live around the area, the event should help more people be aware of all the wonderful things Fishtown has to offer and give local businesses a boost in both the short and long-term. The Food Trust has extensive experience organizing Night Market cleanups and have plans in place to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. They have organized a special trash pick-up the day after the event so that the corridor can return to normalcy as quickly as possible.

All in all, the Fishtown Night Market is shaping up to be a great time. Plenty of Spirit staff will be in attendance. If you see one of us, feel free to say hello! Don’t forget to take lots of pictures for our contest.

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