nwasianweekly.com
Aug. 12, 2006

Photo by Carol N. Vu

Guo Zhi Liu (left) and ShunCai Zhou (center), both volunteers of the IDHA’s WILD youth program, play mahjong with Night Market visitor Lisa Suchsland.

Night Market takes back the night

Amidst the laughter of the children, the warbling by amateur karaoke singers and the haggling between vendors and buyers, you could hear something else at last week’s Chinatown/International District Night Market.

It was as if the residents of this neighborhood put their collective foot down on Aug. 1 and hollered, “Hing Hay Park belongs to us! It doesn’t belong to the drug dealers, panhandlers, drug addicts or prostitutes!”

It is possible to take back the night.

Now that we know this, we strongly encourage the continuation of the Night Market.

In its debut last week, the Night Market was a big hit with people of all ages. The youngest ones had fun catching live goldfish, playing games, making artwork and bouncing around in the inflatable area. Teens tried out karaoke; some even signed up for a blind date. Adults shopped, had their palms read by a fortuneteller and mingled with friends. There was even food for sale, thanks to Ho Ho Seafood Restaurant and Green Leaf. Even the merchants were happy that night; Ho Ho’s owner, Pauline Lui, said business was brisk.

The Night Market is an especially good idea for new immigrants and seniors who live in Chinatown/I.D. They normally don’t have anything to do in the evening. They don’t feel safe walking the streets at night; few, if any, activities are geared toward their age group at that hour. The Night Market gives them the opportunity to socialize and exercise in a safe, family-friendly environment.

Such an event also drives away the illicit activities that make up a normal night at Hing Hay Park. The drug dealers and prostitutes had to take their business elsewhere because so many people were on the streets.

It’s clear the entire neighborhood benefited from the Night Market. We applaud the International District Housing Alliance and its youth program, Wilderness Inner-city Leadership Development (WILD), for coming up with the idea and organizing it.

Given all the positives, we urge IDHA to hold this event on an ongoing basis. Take advantage of the good weather and hold the Night Market at least two more times this summer. Afterwards, plan to hold it on a weekly basis beginning next June, when the temperatures start to climb again.

Seek out funding to make future Night Markets bigger and better. We think the city should be pitching in a sizable amount, as the project builds neighborhood cohesion, deters crime and helps small businesses.

With karaoke proving itself to be a big draw in the neighborhood, we think the Night Market could host a summer-long karaoke contest, whereby singers compete week after week, “American Idol”-style. It could culminate in a big grand-finale show at the end of the summer. Visitors will want to come back to the Night Market every week to keep up with the competition.

Just like the annual summertime street festival and the Chinatown Seafair parade, the Night Market could become a major attraction for people around the region.

But no matter the size of the Night Market, the main goals should always be the same: to build a sense of community in Chinatown/I.D. and to ward off crime.

Last week’s Night Market sent chills up our spine, but not because it was cold in Hing Hay Park. The goose bumps were a result of our excitement over what it could mean for the future of this neighborhood.

Send correspondence to:
Northwest Asian Weekly • P.O. Box 3468 • Seattle • WA  98114
Tel: 206.223.5559 •  Fax: 206.223.0626 • Email: info@nwasianweekly.com
Please bookmark this site: www.nwasianweekly.com.