Organizers of the 626 Night Market at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, estimate as many as 50,000 people attended the recent 3 night run of the event. The event featured Asian street food booths and other vendors and entertainment.
The 626 Night Market is the brainchild of 3 Taiwanese-Americans who were heavily inspired by their experiences at night markets in Taiwan. The 626 Night Market will continue at Santa Anita Park next summer.
626 Night Market spawns copycats. The concept of a Taiwanese style foodie bazaar that has been held at Santa Anita Park, has spread to Orange County, Koreatown in Los Angeles, Monterey Park, and Studio City.
Food a big draw at 626 Night Market, the Asian-inspired festival at Santa Anita Park. It is in its fourth season of food, entertainment, art and shopping.
626 Night Market, an Asia-inspired market event returns for its ninth season at Santa Anita Park Friday through Sunday, with a phased reopening and reduced capacity. Admission is $5 plus fees.
Two weekends remain for 626 Night Market at Santa Anita Park. It wraps up its ninth season on September 3-5. The 626 Night Market is an evening festival of food and merchandise vendors, games and entertainment. Founded in Pasadena in 2012 by entrepreneur Jonny Hwang. After taking up residence at Santa Anita Park, it expanded to OC Fair in Costa Mesa and Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. Festival did not take place in 2020 due to Coronavirus pandemic.
Asian night markets share a common language: food. Evening events draw thousands to LA, Orange, and San Diego counties. In 2012, the first 626 Night Market took place at Old Town Pasadena. Then the event moved to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia and it has become a signature event, becoming kind of synonymous with Arcadia, says Jason Kruckeberg, assistant City Manager, and Development Services Director.
Los Angeles County supervisor Mike Antonovich plans to set aside $650,000 of county funds to re-seed the oak woodland habitat in Arcadia that was demolished last week for flood control purposes, after mud and debris dredged from the Santa Anita Dam has been spread at the site. Bob Spencer, spokesman for Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, said there is much more debris poised to come down the hills and "We need to find a solution." Other county wilderness areas face destruction to make way for sediment. Officials are already considering the relocation of sediment from Devil's Gate Dam, which could end up on a 40-acre mature black willow woodland in the Hahamongna Watershed Park. Environmental activists won't let that happen without a fight.