As night falls, visitors line up to get inside of the exclusive 805 Night Market where over 40 food vendors are ready for the crowd to swarm inside and line up. The 805 Night Market took place at the Earl Warren Showgrounds this past weekend from October 14-15 on both Saturday and Sunday. The food being sold by different vendors was very diverse in cultures and flavors. There were churros, noodles, cheesecake, tacos, burgers, potato swirls, specialized agua frescas, and so much more. Vendors came from all over the North and South coast of California to promote and sell their products.
“On Saturday, we welcomed approximately 18,000 visitors, and on Sunday, the count was around 12,000,” said one of the founders of the 805 Night Market, Javier Lara. “The atmosphere was electric, and many attendees expressed their appreciation for such a unique event in Santa Barbara.”
There was also a wide variety of music being played by the DJ to set the vibes. In the middle of the arena, visitors could find carnival games to play to win prizes. Little knick knacks such as toys, customized cups, and other items to buy that can be gifts. Families and friends came together to enjoy the ambience and the community gathering.
“The 805 Night market really brought out the diverse community and I was able to experience different cultural foods at each food vendor’s selling spot,” said senior Berenice Flores.
Not many food festivals take place in Santa Barbara, which is primarily the reason why so many community members showed up to the event. And due to Santa Barbara being a pretty small town with limited food options, the 805 Night Market catered to many cultural foods. Tickets were needed to be reserved before the Night Market date, but the tickets were free of charge. On both Saturday and Sunday, the event completely sold out! It has been confirmed that the coordinators of the 805 Night Market have officially started planning to have four 805 Night Markets taking place in Santa Barbara in 2024. Santa Barabra can now look forward to gathering together to celebrate food, fun, and so many games.
If interested, the Santa Barbara society can look forward to the next 805 Night Market taking place December 2-3 in Port Hueneme Beach!
