More than 100 vendors, a K-Pop dance competition and free karaoke are set to fill Classen Boulevard in Oklahoma City's Asian District this Friday and Saturday as the Asian Night Market Festival returns for its eighth year. The festival runs 5 to 11 p.m. both nights along Classen Boulevard between Northwest 23rd and 27th streets, and organizers are expecting thousands of people to show up.
The event is free to attend, according to travelok.com, and organizers with the Asian District Cultural Association say the festival has exploded in popularity since it launched in 2018 with roughly 15,000 attendees. As reported by KOCO, officials estimate around 80,000 people showed up last year alone, and this year's festival is once again expected to draw a massive crowd to the district.
According to the Asian District Cultural Association, the festival drew approximately 80,000 attendees and 100 vendors in 2025, a dramatic jump from its modest debut. The nonprofit organization, which promotes and preserves the culture of Oklahoma City's Asian District, calls the night market its flagship event.
What's Filling Classen Boulevard This Weekend
This year's lineup includes food, unique shopping, cultural performances, a fashion show, the K-Pop Dance Competition and a Lion Dance, per the association's official festival page. Free activities scattered throughout the grounds include karaoke, face painting, 360-degree video and the Mindbender ride, giving families plenty to do without spending a dime.
KOCO's report notes the festival will also include food trucks, performances and a cultural fashion show, rounding out a weekend built around food, music and dance. Separately, the 10Best travel guide from USA Today describes the market as a lively gathering featuring dozens of vendors and local artisans, offering international snacks and drinks, with lion dancing prominently featured as a traditional performance art.
National Recognition Puts OKC on the Map
The festival's growth hasn't gone unnoticed outside Oklahoma. It was officially recognized by USA Today's 10Best as the second-best night market festival in the country, and it was nominated again for the 2026 Readers' Choice Awards. The Night Market at Scissortail Park also earned a nomination, giving Oklahoma City two spots among the 19 U.S. markets recognized nationally, according to KOCO.
USA Today said its panel of experts chose markets that offered a diverse range of booths, food, products and atmospheres, a bar the Asian District festival has cleared for years running as it scaled from a modest neighborhood gathering to one of the city's largest annual events.
