NYC’s most popular and Manhattan’s largest food festival, Uptown Night Market, is making its long-awaited return to Harlem for its fifth season tonight, Thursday, May 8th. And whether you’re a committed NYC foodie or just looking for a place to surround yourself with good company, it’s certainly the place you’ll want to be.
Uptown Night Market is a vibrant celebration meant to amplify the vibrancy of Harlem’s rich culinary scene, community spirit, and cultural diversity, as well as support its small businesses, artisans, and entrepreneurs. Every Thursday night from May through October, over 50 diverse vendors and more than 15,000 guests make their way to the famous Harlem Arches on 12th Ave. and 133rd Street to get a taste of the best offerings from Harlem’s rich African-American, African, Caribbean, Hispanic, and European culture.
Though we’re not entirely sure yet of this year’s vendors list, some past vendors have included:
- Aguas Frescas Tlaxcalita II LLC
- Rosie’s Empanadas
- Twisted Potato
- La Braza
- Savage Burger LLC
- Soul Fusion by Chef El-Amin
- and more!
But the market focuses on more than just food, rather it celebrates everything that makes this community extraordinary. That’s to say that after grabbing a bite to eat you can sit back and enjoy diverse live music and various activities. Their Instagram writes:
This isn’t about food. This is about power…About Harlem reclaiming its flavor, its spotlight, and its streets. Welcome to the new era.
If you’re interested in becoming a vendor yourself, you can head to Uptown Night Market’s website.
Oh, and keep in mind that Uptown Night Market isn’t your only opportunity to explore NYC’s culinary scene–there’s also Dragon Fest, NYC’s largest Chinese food festival that has multiple dates through October, Japan Fes., with dates through November, and Queens Night Market, which was recently named the #1 city food festival in the nation, just to name a few!
📍 12th Ave W 131st – the Old Fairway Parking Lot
🗓️ Every Thursday, May through October
⏰ 4pm to 10pm