Night markets are an exciting part of food culture across Asia, from Hong Kong to Bangkok to Taiwan. Now, the tradition of open-air bazaars is coming to Annandale a.k.a. Northern Virginia’s Koreatown. The first in a monthly series of DMV Night Markets will go down in the parking lot outside the Block on December 2 and 3.*
The Block’s founder Arturo Mei and event coordinator, Benjamin Ragland, decided to launch the night market as an extension of the popular food hall. Indoor vendors like Sno Cream (also owned by Mei), Balo Kitchen, and Poke Bowl will participate alongside 20 to 30 food trucks and restaurants in what the organizers describe as a “cultural soup made to attract everyone from all walks of life.” Ragland says he plans on drawing in local artisans, plus live music from a main stage.
Since the DMV Night Market is launching at the beginning of a cold, dark stretch of year, Ragland says they’ll host the first series from noon to 10 PM on December 2, and until 8 PM on December 3. Warmer-weather iterations will hopefully run from 7 PM to the wee hours, maybe 2 AM. In the meantime, heaters, tents, and dishes like Balo Kitchen’s pork belly-rice bowls should keep market-goers toasty.
DMV Night Market at the Block. 4221 John Marr Dr., Annandale.
*This post has been updated from an earlier version due to a change in scheduling for the event.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
