By Taylor Breckles (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: September 24, 2014
The Richmond Night Market will close for the winter after its final day, October 13. At this time of year the festivities start to wrap up as school starts and people get back to their regular, non-summer lives. However, I didn’t expect it to be quite so wrapped-up already.
Usually it’s a good idea to arrive a half hour before the gates open in order to skip the line and find parking. This time, though, I showed up 10 minutes past opening time, and walked right in; no lines, no nothing. The market really is winding down for fall.
I could have spun around in circles with my arms outstretched. For the most part, my date and I walked up to any booth we wanted and were the first in line.
Several merchandise and food booths were already closed, including some of the popular ones, like the barbecue booth and Saucy Pops (chicken wrapped in a wonton wrapper and deep-fried with sauce added afterwards).
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect to me was that my favourite deep-fried cheesecake truck didn’t have any cheesecake, only Mars and Snickers bars. My tradition of getting a piece at the end of the night was broken, as was my cheesecake-less heart.
Most of the remaining merchandise booths didn’t have anything worth looking at, having sold everything but cheap junk.
One clothing booth, however, drew a crowd because they were having an end-of-summer sale on fairly decent-quality clothing. I managed to snag a few items for myself, so at least something worthwhile came of going.
Although the night market at this time of year was disappointing what with the few remaining quality booths, it still makes a good date night regardless. Walking around, eating food, mocking some merchandise, even finding a good deal every now and then is worth the trip.
I would definitely recommend going next year. Just try to aim for the beginning-to-middle of the season if you really want the best selection.
