By Thomas K. Pendergast

The first Sunset Night Market is coming to Irving Street, between 20th and 23rd avenues, on Friday, Sept. 15, 5-10 p.m., to test the concept presented by District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio. 

Engardio got the idea while visiting Taipei. 

In an effort to promote local businesses along that shopping corridor, the Sunset Night Market will take place along Irving which will be closed to vehicle traffic to make room for music, food vendors and arts-and-crafts stalls.

“As my husband and I walked through the Taipei night market we looked at all the food and the entertainment and the art and we imagined all that fun right here in the Sunset in the middle of Irving Street,” Engardio said during a press conference at the planned location. “As we address all the serious issues facing San Francisco, a night market creates joy. We need more joy in our lives.  

“A night market celebrates all the fun things in life. It reminds us why our City is worth fixing and that it’s possible to create our best San Francisco.” 

Yet, when Engardio tried to set up a night market in the City, he found a major bureaucratic roadblock because the California Department of Public Health does not have specific permitting for regularly occurring night markets. 

“Going from idea to reality is not always easy, especially when it hasn’t been done before in this way,” he said. “When I asked a city department if we could streamline the permit process, they said ‘no’ because a state law was in the way.” 

So he called the California Assembly’s 17th District representative and former San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney, one of two assemblymembers representing the City, to ask about legislating a solution.  

“Today we are announcing a bill, a piece of legislation that will make it a lot easier to start and operate both farmers markets during the day and night markets in the evening,” Haney said at the press conference. “AB-441, the Farmer’s Market and Night Market Creation Bill, will for the first time create a specific permit that will last for an entire year for both farmers markets and night markets.” 

“Right now, the permitting that’s involved with starting a farmers market or night market requires you to go to the state. It only lasts for a couple of months, it can take hundreds or even thousands of dollars and repeated paperwork and bureaucratic hurdles,” Haney explained. “There is no reason why, at a time when we need to be supporting our small businesses, supporting people coming downtown to our neighborhoods, that we should have these bureaucratic hurdles that get in the way of us starting farmers markets and night markets.” 

Engardio said they hope this first night market on Irving Street is just a start toward a goal of having monthly night markets throughout the Sunset District.  

Angie Petitt of Sunset Mercantile, who hosts the Outer Sunset Farmers Market, was also there to show her support. 

“These markets are amazing for supporting local small businesses and bringing community together, which really helps overall mental well-being,” Petitt said. “The benefits are numerous and I’m just super excited to be a part of it. And thank you for bringing this legislation to the forefront.”  

In response to a question about how the amplified music will affect the local neighborhood, Petitt said they will get an amplified sound permit through the SF Entertainment Commission. She noted that they have all of their permits just about in place already.  

“It’s a pilot program, so they will be listening to the community once they launch it and they will make adjustments as needed,” she said.  

The co-owner of Mochi Donut Shop, Theresa Tom, thinks it will be good exposure for local businesses in the area.  

“A night market will bring connection, not only businesses together, but people together and it will help all our small businesses,” Tom said. “My business has been participating in a lot of outreach events in different markets in the City and that brought a lot of excitement for our product because we believe in our product and it helped us stay visible.

“I think this is a great idea because it’s going to be exciting and we want people to come to this area, a safe place, because of the team of people that’s here,” she said.  

PBS celebrity chef Martin Yan, who hosts the show Yan Can Cook, was also on hand to promote night markets in the Sunset.  

“As I travel around the world doing the Yan Can Cook show, it doesn’t matter where I go: in Venice, in Berlin, in Rome, and all of Asia in every single city I go to … the night market is thriving,” Yan said.  

“The night market allows businesses to continue to profit because you pay the same amount every month for rent. So, your operation hours are longer; you bring in more revenue. And it’s good for the community, more tax dollars for the locals.” 

For those concerned with how cold, windy and foggy the Sunset can get at night; he suggested a hot bowl of wonton soup would help.  

“On Sept. 15, I can show you that I can make the dead chicken dance,” Yan joked. “I think this is just the beginning of the night market in the entire Bay Area, in the entire state of California. Let’s bring the business back. Let’s bring people back … to have a wonderful night market, a delicious, exciting night market for everybody.”

– Thomas K. Pendergast