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Night markets are having their big moment in New York right now, and there’s so many of them popping up everywhere that it’s hard to decide which one is actually worth a try.
If you’re looking for a more contemporary spin to a night market that features all the cool Asian brands you need to know, then you should definitely prioritize the 88RISING Head in the Clouds Night Market on April 19 happening from 5pm to 10:30pm at the Culture Lab in Long Island City.
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The festival will celebrate the lead-up to Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which starts in May, by gathering more than 75 NYC brands and businesses under one delicious roof. Vendors confirmed for the event include New York favorites like 5ive Spice, Boba Family, Cakes by Lexi, Kitsby, Honeycakes, Lunar, Nom Wah, Silk Tea, Spot Desserts Bar, Twisted Potato and many others. You can check out a more extensive list of the vendors below.
General admission to the event, which is $8 online or $12 at the door, will include free swag from Omsom, the wildly popular Vietnamese-American-founded brand that has introduced bold Asian flavors to urbanites all over the country.
The agency hosting the event, 88RISING, was founded in 2015 and has paved the way for mainstream AAPI representation in music. Artists currently on their roster include Joji, Keith Ape, and Jackson Wang, and they previously represented Rina Sawayama, too.
This night market is a sort of precursor to the Head in The Clouds festival that's going to happen on May 11 and 12, which will feature an iconic lineup of all-Asian artists at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. Performing at the festival will be several legends from the agency’s roster including girl group ATARASHII GAKKO!, R&B artist thuy, K-Pop group Young Posse, and many others. The festival will feature plenty of food vendors, too, including several that will be present at the night market.
A $25 VIP ticket to the April 19 night market will get you a celebratory red envelope with $160 worth of items, including samples from Silk, RokStar Kitchen, and Patok by Rach; one free cocktail; a tote bag with samples from Makku, Omsom and Lunar; and more. Every ticket purchase will come with exclusive offers on passes to the upcoming Head in The Clouds Festival. Keep in mind, though, that entry to the night market does not guarantee entry to the music festival itself.
You can get your tickets to the night market here and check out a more extensive list of vendors below.
