Record-Breaking Crowd Celebrates Houston's AAPI Communities at Asia Society Texas' Night Market

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HOUSTON, November 8, 2023 — Asia Society Texas (AST) welcomed approximately 10,000 guests to enjoy a festive fall evening of food, shopping, all-ages activities, and performances at the organization's 11th annual Night Market festival presented by American First National Bank.

Featuring an expanded footprint, the festival transformed AST's parking lot and Southmore Boulevard into a free outdoor market of more than 60 vendors, artisans, and partners. A special Otaku Alley area returned for its third year to highlight Japanese pop culture, while Indus Arts Council invited guests to paint a community art project and Houston Botanic Garden shared a vibrant preview of its upcoming Radiant Nature Chinese lantern installation.

The fun continued indoors, where guests played Japanese carnival games with AST's education team, Kendama Sweets Foundation, and Houston Public Library; learned to play mahjong and to fold origami; and enjoyed after-hours admission to the Explore Asia and Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits exhibitions. In the theater, a full house was treated to previews of Netflix's new animated show Blue Eye Samurai and Shōgeki Sumo presented three sold-out sumo wrestling demonstrations.

In a collaboration powered by lululemon, Houston-based artist Ruhee Maknojia designed a special-edition T-shirt celebrating the diversity of Houston through a representation of the city's six historic wards. T-shirts were available for sale at the event and were also provided to festival vendors and volunteers.

American First National Bank has been a longtime supporter of Night Market and other arts and culture programs at Asia Society Texas. The outdoor market was sponsored by Wells Fargo. Reliant provided support for the Japanese-inspired carnival, with Japan Series sponsorship presented by Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas). Otaku Alley was sponsored by Comcast. Night Market sponsors also included Blood Bros BBQ; Divya and Chris Brown; Coam Beverage Inc; Joyce Wealth Management, LLC; Teri and Jeff Lee; lululemon; McDonald's; Orion Breweries; Southern News Group; Southwest Management District; Stevie Vu and Chow Down in Chinatown; and Texas Commission on the Arts. Netflix was a programmatic partner while Alto was a rideshare partner.

Drawing inspiration from street markets found in East and Southeast Asia, AST’s annual Night Market celebrates Houston’s Asian and Asian American communities while also engaging visitors through thought-provoking exhibitions and all-ages activities. The next Night Market is expected to take place in fall 2024.

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Previous Night Market Events

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.