I had hoped that the MSA Annex Night Market would be a smaller version of the 626 Night Market, but it is not. Held in Arcadia just outside of Los Angeles, the 626 Night Market is an Asian Food heaven with hundreds of booths serving delicious take-aways to eat standing up, as well as being a Friday-Night-Date-Night go to. (I really miss Asian food since moving to Tucson, but that’s a topic for another post.)
The MSA Annex Night Market is more of a crafty street fair held once a month in summer after sundown when the temperature begins to drop. Instead of Korean BBQ and sea urchin roe and Turkish Kebabs like those at the 626, the MSA Annex Night Market had two trucks outside. One served popcorn, the other Mexican food. A Japanese restaurant and Burger place in the Mercado Annex were also serving food. And one booth and one bar were serving drinks. There were plenty of places to sit and enjoy the warm evening.
So, here is some of what I saw:
Before even entering the gate to the Annex, there were a few craft booths, like this one, Melrose Macrame with its 1960s style plant hangers. Everything old is new again!
It appears that these two customers at the booth selling liquor took the ‘Big Kids’ message literally.
If there is one thing I could fault about the 626 Night Market in California is the lack of seating — primarily because it is held in the huge parking lot at the Santa Anita racetrack. Fair organizers want people to wander around and spend money, rather than sit and chat with friends or people-watch.
At least here in Tucson, there were plenty of places to sit and eat and talk. And I don’t remember seeing many families with small children as in the third photo, above, at the 626. Another neat thing: the buildings at the Annex are converted shipping containers! The complex was designed by Tucson Architect Paul Weiner. Very cool.
Of course there was a DJ!
And, of course, there is art at the Annex. After all, it’s Tucson.
Running out of things to see I left just as the sun was setting over the Mercado San Agustin building across the street about a block away.
Upcoming Night Markets are scheduled for July 30th, August 27th and September 24, 2021, from 6 to 10 p.m.
Monsoon rain is predicted for 5 days in a row this coming week! Hopefully, the rain will douse the wildfires burning all over the state.
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Why it’s cool, of course. Who’s doing summer outside stuff in the daytime with cooling technology? Hey, does MSA remind anyone else of a space colony, maybe something from Firefly?
Why compare it to another market in another state and remark it doesn’t compare. Why should it? It stands on its own.
Calling it a “Night Market” instead of something like “Summer Evenings at MSA Annex” invites comparison. Night Markets in cities in hot climates–like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur–are famous for being places to have dinner and do some shopping. (I think of Bourdain’s shows about Night Markets–he loved them.) I think the MSA Annex Night Market is a nice start and I hope it gets even better.