Imagine street food vendors as far as the eye can see in a trendy part of town at night.
The , the District鈥檚 first-of-its-kind Asian-inspired night bazaar, happens Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Organizers created it to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander culture in D.C., and to support small businesses still struggling to rebound from the pandemic.
鈥淣ight markets differ between each country,鈥� said Peter Chang, who developed The Red Eye. 鈥淧eople might be in a bustling urban area, go out to a night club or bar on a weekend, and when they get out, they jump into these night markets and have this amazing food all night.鈥�
The event is the brainchild of the No Kings Collective, a creative-arts group founded by Chang and Brandon Hill, whose large-scale murals are scattered throughout D.C.
The Red Eye is designed to bring AAPI culture to the District through food, Chang said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e about bringing people together and sharing experiences,鈥� he said. 鈥淐ulture is not just art; it鈥檚 music, dance and food, to create a bridge between so many different groups.鈥�
The city is a sponsor of the open-air night bazaar, which features dozens of chefs, food trucks and performing arts groups, said Jinhee Kim, chief creative officer at Events DC, the district鈥檚 official convention and sports authority.
And it offers added support for artists still struggling to recover work lost during the pandemic, she said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e open for business,鈥� Kim said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping people from around the DMV come out.鈥� She added that she hopes to make it an annual event 鈥渟o people will be enticed to come into the city.鈥�
Entrances to Red Eye are in Northwest at Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street, and at Constitution Avenue and 3rd Street.
