The Queens Night Market is set to return for its ninth season every Saturday starting April 13 at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
This year’s night market will be expanding its footprint in order to allow for more vendors to participate. Additionally, the night market will be opening an hour earlier, at 4 p.m. The expansion and earlier start times are meant to help vendors generate more volume while also minimizing long lines.
Limited tickets for “sneak preview” events on Apr. 13 and Apr. 20 will also be sold as another way of limiting traffic and addressing capacity issues. These tickets will become available for purchase in March.
The price caps on all food items will remain at $5/$6 stemming from a sponsorship deal struck with Citizens Financial Group. Vendor fees f0r food and merchandise vendors will also remain at the same rate as in 2023.
“When the Queens Night Market launched back in 2015, the price cap felt like a key ingredient in democratizing access to the event. But now, the price cap feels a bit like a lifeline for a huge swath of New Yorkers,” Queens Night Market founder John Wang said. “I can’t thank our vendors enough for buying into our mission of being NYC’s most affordable community space, nor thank Citizens enough for making it possible to keep our benchmark price caps amidst the city’s skyrocketing cost-of-living.”
Even with the price cap in place, 2023 marked a banner year for vendor sales. Food vendors averaged more than $2,500 per night in sales, while art and merchandise vendors averaged almost $1,000 per night in sales, Wang said.
Vendor applications are now available. Interested vendors can sign up for the Queens Night Market by clicking here. More than 200 applications have already been submitted thus far. Those interested in being vendors who have questions can email vendor@queensnightmarket.com.
There will also be a series of small business seminars related to the Queens Night Market that will be held at Queens Borough Hall. They will be held in partnership with the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Queens Economic Development Corporation and Citizens Financial Group. Translated materials, as well as live translations, will be available for these seminars.
The free seminars cover a range of topics, including business plans, branding and marketing, operational efficiency, social media and technology and obtaining permits. The seminars will also cover topics related to the Queens Night Market. They are available for vendors taking part in the Queens Night Market, as well as individuals and families looking to start their own businesses. There will be guest speakers, expert panels, networking and Q&A sessions.
“I’m glad that the staple Queens Night Market will return for its ninth season, working with vendors from across the borough to not only serve our community delicious treats, but also to help vendors with their business by providing seminars and networking opportunities,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said. “It’s critical that we work together to bring business and fun to Queens, and that’s what the Queens Night Market always does. I can’t wait to join and taste the world in April.”
The Queens seminars are scheduled to take place Feb. 1, 8 and 15 at the Helen Marshall Cultural Center in Queens Borough Hall from 6 p.m. -9:30 p.m. To find more information or RSVP for each seminar, click here.
Through the first eight seasons of the Queens Night Market, almost 3 million people have attended, including about 20,000 each Saturday last year. The event has helped launch nearly 400 businesses in New York City. More than 95 countries have been represented through the vendors and food.
“I think the fact that Queens Night Market has launched almost 400 brand new businesses in NYC is a real testament to what lowering the barriers to entry can do for entrepreneurship,” Wang said. “But launching a business and setting it up for sustainable success are different animals, and these seminars are designed as a bootcamp for both.”
Citizens Financial Group conducted a survey in 2023 on 363 small businesses, vendors, artists and attendees from the Queens and Chinatown Night Markets. The survey revealed how night markets are a great way for small business owners to test new ideas and business plans before scaling and expansion. The combination of low overhead costs, flexibility and broad customer exposure allow these entrepreneurs to grow their small businesses while also building richer and more culturally diverse communities.
Among the list of food vendors confirmed for the 2024 Queens Night Market are:
Los Almendros – Salvadoran Pupusas
Anda Café – Bubble Tea
Arepalicious – Colombian Arepas
Ay Cachapas – Venezuelan Cachapas
Blintz Box – Ukrainian Blintzes
Bom Bae – Indian Vada Pav & Jalebi
La Braza – Roasted Corn & Skewers
Brazilicious – Brazilian Steak Sandwiches & Pão de Queijo
Bstro – Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
Burmese Bites – Burmese Palatas
C Bao – Asian Duck and Pork Buns
Cambodianow – Cambodian Fish Amok
Caribbean Street Eats – Trinidadian Shark Sandwiches
Coconana Banh Mi – Vietnamese Banh Mi
Daku – Indian BBQ & Roti
Derangoon – Burmese Tea Leaf Salad
DiLena’s Dolcini – Cannoli and Cookies
Don Ceviche – Peruvian Ceviche
Emeye Ethiopian Cuisine – Ethiopian Sega Wat & Chechebsa
Enfes NYC – Turkish Gözleme
Go Green Yaks! – Tibean Shogo Bhakleb & Tsel Bhakleb
Hong Kong Street Food
Joey Bats Café – Portuguese Pastéis de Nata
La’Maoli – Antiguan Ducana & Blood Sausage
Menya Jiro – Japanese Ramen
Mama Food – Squid Skewers
Mister Bocadillos – Brazilian Esfiha & Churrasco
Mood Food & Fun – Venezuelan Tequeños & Patacón
Moon Man – Indonesian Kue Pancong
MuahChee Alley – Fujianese Fritters & Mochi
Nomad Dumplings – Tibetan Momos
El Pernil Ecuatoriano – Ecuadorian Pernil
Persian Bites NYC – Persian Dizi
Sam’s Fried Ice Cream
Tandoor Samsa – Uyghur Samsa
Taypa – Peruvian Anticuchos
Treat Yourself Jerk Chicken
Trini Treats – Trinidadian Curry Crab and Dumplings & Doubles
Twisted Potato – Fried Potato Twists
Twistercake Bakery – Romanian/Hungarian Chimney Cakes
Vincent Farms Natural Foods – Sierra Leonean Jollof Rice & Cassava Leaf Stew
Warung Bites – Indonesian Martabak & Bakwan
