On April 23, thousands of people flocked to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the opening night of the second annual Queens International Night Market. The event promised to offer delicious street food and live performances, but a social media misunderstanding caused a massive turnout of people, shocking both vendors and attendees alike.
Although the event is scheduled to take place every Saturday for the summer, New Yorkers have been a little bit wary of returning ever since.
Unsurprisingly, my personal experience during opening night was disappointing. I felt like a chicken stuck in an overcrowded coop and had to leave empty handed due to the long lines. But because I live fairly close by, I decided to give the night market another shot. Plus, I had a hankering for grilled squid on a stick.
I headed to the park without high expectations, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the crowd had significantly downsized. In preparation for another unexpected turnout, the staff had redesigned the space and brought in more lights and toilet facilities. Although there were still lines, they were much more manageable and I was able to move freely through the crowd.
From what I could see, the night market also has a good array of vendors this year:
Here are some enticing food options that you may come across if you're willing to visit the market again:
Opening night for the market's second year in the park was marred by a ridiculous amount of street traffic. The 7 Train, which provided the easiest alternative route to the market, was densely packed. Some commuters were forced to wait up to half an hour just to leave the station.
According to John Wang, the event’s founder, the turnout was much larger than expected. Because opening night last year was also very condensed, Wang nearly doubled the amount of food vendors in an attempt to control the crowds.
Despite his efforts, however, tens of thousands of people showed up due to the nice weather and a reported misunderstanding via social media, which made it seem as if the event was one-day only thing. The night market will be held every Saturday from 6 p.m.-12 a.m. through August 20.
Wang has since apologized for the mix-up, but event attendees are still flocking to social media to express their concerns:
Others have been more sympathetic:
For more information, visit queensnightmarket.com. Check out the video below for a peek of the night market.
