By Asha Ingram

Saturday, June 8, marked the Richmond District’s first-ever Heart of the Richmond Night Market. The market stretched from 22nd to 25th avenues on Clement Street and featured stalls from local businesses and community organizations.

It was a fairly typical westside day with some fog giving way to sunshine and occasional gusty winds. The crowd enjoyed interacting with neighbors, eating local food and listening to catchy music.

According to District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, one of the main organizers of the Night Market, the idea started with her talking with members of the Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants and Property Owners Association in a coffee shop. From there, the idea took off and they were able to get funding from the Civic Joy Fund – a San Francisco nonprofit that frequently helps put on events in the City. The organizers were also able to get the Community Youth Center (CYC) on Clement involved, and its volunteers played a huge part in the event by working traffic control during the Night Market, among other tasks.

David Heller, president of the Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants and Property Owners Association, said the event was a big help to local businesses.

“We truly thank the community for coming out and supporting the merchants during these unusual times,” he said. “Shopping local really helps the Richmond District businesses thrive.”

For Nicole Meldahl, executive director of the Western Neighborhoods Project, it was the perfect place for a night market, describing the Central Richmond as being just the right place for the event.

“It’s the perfect place to host a multicultural event that highlights all of the nonprofits and arts, activators, local businesses and food,” Meldahl said.

Apart from the Richmond District’s ideal neighborhood setting for the night market, Meldahl also explained that it is an event much needed in the neighborhood post pandemic, especially when it comes to staying connected in the community.

“People are really hungry for in-person events where they can get out into the neighborhood, support local businesses, spend time with friends and family and meet new people,” she said.

For many local businesses and organizations like the Western Neighborhoods Project, the night market provided a great opportunity for outreach and advertising due to the big turnout in the community. Overall, the gathering resulted in many of the small business stalls at the event recruiting more interest and support.

“As a nonprofit, we really rely on word-of-mouth to advertise,” Meldahl explained. “It’s the perfect opportunity for us to engage deeply with the members of our community.”

Along with Chan, the event organizers included Heller, Assistant Police Chief David Lazar and other local merchants and community members.

Some of the organizations featured at the event included CYC, Sol Ambiance florist, Batches Bakehouse and Fleet Wood.

Meldhal praised the organizers for their work putting the night market together.

“It’s really hard to put on an event this size and get it right the first time, and they did an incredible job,” she said, “It was a real community effort.”

Many local businesses saw a substantial increase in foot traffic on the day of the night market. Phyllis Nabhan, owner of legacy business Gaslight & Shadows Antiques, claimed that her store was the busiest it has ever been.

“In the 48 years I have been in business, I have never had that many people in my store,” she said. “There was a line out the door for 10 hours that day.”

Other than owning her antiques store, Nabhan is also heavily involved in the Clement Street Merchants Association. She hopes the night market will continue to have a future in the Richmond District.

“We’d definitely like to see it go into next year,” Nabhan said. “It’s terribly exciting to have activity at this part of Clement Street.”

A night market event was held in the Sunset District on Irving Street last fall. Attendance surpassed expectations and was described as the “first of its kind.” It is expected to return on Aug. 30 and Sept. 27. The next market on Irving will double in size spanning six full blocks. According to District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, there is much more to look forward to with the night markets there.

“We are planning a Sunset Nights series that also includes a beach party edition at Taraval and the Lower Great Highway on Sept. 21,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see night markets in neighborhoods throughout San Francisco and I encourage people to attend them all,” Engardio said.

As for the Richmond night market, locals will be able to see this event return on July 20. The next market is expected to have more than 70 vendors, according to Chan, including more food choices. And with all the excitement and success it has garnered, the event is expected continue to be popular throughout the rest of 2024. The next markets will be on Saturdays, July 20, Aug. 17 and Sept. 20.

“Our community is truly what makes the Richmond District so special, and it was wonderful to celebrate and showcase our neighborhood at our first night market, in the physical heart of the Richmond,” Chan said. “I am so grateful for our amazing merchants who helped make the Heart of the Richmond Night Market a reality, and thank the more than 40 vendors, makers and community partners who participated, plus the families who came out to make our first night market such a success.”