Recap: Truck Stop at Boyle Street Plaza

What the Truck?! has always been at the mercy of the elements, and this was no more evident than on Thursday. Boyle Street Plaza played host to our second Truck Stop of the year, a burger-themed event. And though the forecast had been beautiful in the days leading up to Thursday, that evening was incredibly windy and mostly overcast.

Boyle Street Plaza

On the bright side, the lines were short, so it was perfect for folks looking for a quick dinner fix before heading off to make the most of their summer evening.

A break in the clouds

Among the three trucks present (one had to pull out due to mechanical difficulties) was Funky Mango, a Fort Saskatchewan-based truck who specializes in burgers. Mack and I had the Kahuna and the Thai shrimp burger, respectively, and found them to be very good. The latter in particular was very unique, with a handmade shrimp patty, impeccably seasoned, topped with a smattering of peanuts and served in a soft bun.

Thai shrimp burger

We were happy to have Now Radio’s Trucksicle on site, complementing the savoury menus with a free sweet treat.

The ice cream men

Our organizing team also debuted our new volunteer t-shirts on Thursday! It’ll now be easy to find us, if you have a question while you’re on-site.

Just look for the blue and yellow!

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t share at least one picture of the cutest puppy to venture down to the plaza that day: Lemons, a four-month old corgi. Couldn’t you see him as our animal mascot?

Lemons!

Thanks again to the City of Edmonton and the Boyle Street Community League for your support! Our next What the Truck?! will be taking place on Saturday, August 16, 2014. Check back on our website for more information closer to the date!

Recap: Truck Stop @ Baconfest

Last Friday, a glorious summer evening, What the Truck?! partnered with the inaugural Baconfest to host a bacon-themed Truck Stop.

Baconfest Truck Stop

Six trucks, all offering sinful, bacon-filled menus, parked outside the Arts Barns to serve their sweet and savoury concoctions. I loved the creativity, from SoCal Smoothie’s bacon milkshake to Big City Sandwich’s mysteriously named bacon magic cheeseurger.

Smokehouse BBQ

It was great to have several vendors new to What the Truck?!, including SoCal Smoothies and Keilan’s Creamery. Keilan’s primarily serves ice creams from Foothills Creamery, but also sources from a local small-batch ice cream maker who brings unique flavours (and then some) to the market – such as bacon bourbon, maple bacon and Guinness vanilla.

Keilan’s Creamery

This was one of our quieter events this season; I think we weren’t able to overcome some of the confusion as to whether or not our Truck Stop required a ticket for admission. Still, those who attended seemed to have a great time, and the short lines meant folks were able to dabble in dishes from multiple vendors!

Amanda and her poutine from The Local Omnivore

I personally was able to enjoy a few dishes, the most memorable being the Peruvian Pan Con Chicharron (braised & pan seared rib meat, pan seared pork belly, fried sweet potato slices & salsa criolla in a French bun). It was easily one of the best things I’ve ever had from Molly’s Eats – I loved the crispy, flavourful meat and the crunchy bun.

Peruvian Pan Con Chicharron from Molly’s Eats

The tangy peach sorbet from Keilan’s was a refreshing way to end to the scorching day. It seemed that almost everyone indulged in the cool treat too.

Felicia enjoys two scoops of coconut ice cream from Keilan’s

Edmonton Public Library was on-site, signing people up for free memberships. And in a What the Truck?! first, there were a handful of peaceful protesters present all night, encouraging people to refrain from eating meat. I suspect they were mostly there because of the media attention attracted by Baconfest, but I hope none of the Truck Stop attendees felt intimidated.

I heart EPL, too!

I’d like to also recognize the Old Strathcona Business Association and Baconfest for partnering with us on this event.

If you missed the Truck Stop, you’re in luck, we we’re hosting another one this Thursday, July 10, from 5-8pm at the Boyle Street Plaza. This time, the menus are burger-themed, so bring your appetite and come hungry!

Recap: What the Truck?! in Old Strathcona

I can’t tell you how many times I checked the weather forecast in the days leading up to our second What the Truck?! event on Friday. Early on in the week, things weren’t looking good, with showers predicted on the day itself and even on the following days. Thankfully though, as Friday approached, our optimism was rewarded, and save for a few threatening clouds, we were able to stay dry!

McIntyre Park

For a second year in a row, Old Strathcona played a welcoming host to WTT. And like last year’s event at McIntyre Park, we found it again attracted many young families – it was a wonderful sight to see so many children enjoying themselves in the green space.

Dinner time!

In response to the crush of lines at our last event on 104 Street, we increased the number of food trucks to fifteen. This, coupled with a steady crowd over the course of the evening, really helped to minimize the line-ups. I know I was personally able to try several more trucks this time around!

Food truck cul de sac

We made the effort to try some of the vendors new to WTT. I was perhaps most looking forward to the Perogy Princess, as it has been the most talked about truck this season. Their prairie poutine was a fun twist on one of my favourite dishes – perogies drowned in gravy and topped in cheese curds.

Prairie poutine from Perogy Princess

Afterbite Mobile Kitchen’s pizza rolls were an instant hit with the crowd – and after trying them myself, I could see why. How could you say no to deep-fried morsels filled with cheese, and an assortment of pizza toppings?

Pizza rolls from Afterbite

The chicken flautas from Casa Doce were a meal in itself, which I didn’t expect. They came with a generous portion of pico de gallo and a fresh underlay of lettuce.

Chicken flautas from Casa Doce

There was also quite a bit of chatter about the duck tots from Attila the HUNgry. It was definitely enough for two, tater tots topped with Thai-braised duck legs, hoisin aioli, lime sriracha, herbs and peanuts.

Duck tots from Attila the HUNgry

We were fortunate to have great community support for this event. It was wonderful to work with the Old Strathcona Business Association, specifically with Tineke De Jong, who secured sponsorship for the street closure. The Strathcona Community League also stepped up to sponsor our event insurance. In addition, Capital City Cleanup came through with some volunteers and clean-up supplies – the volunteers made sure the site remained spic and span during and after the event!

Capital City Cleanup

A big thanks also to DJs Polyesterday and Chesterfield for the tunes in the park!

DJ Polyesterday’s fans start young!

Keep an eye out on our website for more details about our next two events in July – we’ll be at Baconfest on July 4, and back at the Boyle Street Plaza for a burger-themed Truck Stop on July 10. Hope to see you there!

Recap: 4th Annual Whyte Avenue Red Shoe Crawl

In its fourth year, the Red Shoe Crawl has quickly become a staple way for Edmontonians to explore the culinary delights of a neighbourhood on foot, all while supporting a good cause. Organized by the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta, the event relies on the donations of area businesses so ticket proceeds can go towards providing accommodation to families of children receiving medical treatment in the city. This expression of generosity, coupled with great organization, is what makes the Red Shoe Crawl one of the best food events in Edmonton in my opinion.

And though I have attended an Old Strathcona Shoe Crawl in the past, it did not feel like I was retreading old waters, as the event brought on several different businesses that weren’t on the roster in previous years.

I was fortunate enough to have been given complimentary tickets to attend the event (in addition to participating in a ticket giveaway), and asked Felicia to join me last Sunday afternoon. It’s definitely one of her favourite events.

Felicia with her Red Shoe Crawl passport at The Buckingham

On this occasion, there were twenty businesses on the roster. We made it to a majority of them, but did miss a few. Given how full we were when we called it quits though, I think it was the best we could do!

Our favourites included a few dishes from establishments I’d never been to before. I wouldn’t have considered The Pint for anything other than drinks before, but their chicken tacos were a nice surprise – each bite was full of fresh tomatoes and cilantro.

Chicken tacos from The Pint

The Buckingham, which moved into the former Symposium Greek Cuisine space, was new to us. It’s a great space, with a balcony that overlooks Whyte Avenue, but also a secluded back patio with great sun exposure. The staff were really friendly and attentive during our stay, and the food was good too! The vegan chili packed some heat, but I loved the variety of beans and lentils in the bowl.

Vegan chili from The Buckingham

As in previous Red Shoe Crawls, a food truck was also a part of the action. Attila the HUNgry is new to the Edmonton food truck scene this year, and was offering a taste of their Asian flavours in the form of a Thai PB & J.

Thai PB & J from Attila the HUNgry

It was neat to get a sneak peek into the new Menchie’s location that wouldn’t open until the following Friday (they took over the storefront previously held by Marble Slab). Although the shop wasn’t fully operational yet, the owner pushed their participation through, and handed out pre-portioned cups of red velvet and birthday cake-flavoured frozen yogurt.

Frozen yogurt from Menchie’s

Although most businesses didn’t offer a choice of dishes, Chianti’s did. We were able to order a half-size of any of their appetizers. Between my garlic white wine shrimp and Felicia’s smoked salmon salad, it was a nice taste of what Chianti’s had to offer.

Garlic white wine shrimp

Smoked salmon salad

Planet Organic had a fun giveaway, which involved “shopping” in the store. We were told we could grab any one bulk fruit and one drink from the coolers. As nothing was scanned, I’m not sure how any inventory was performed, but given how much we had already consumed by then, we appreciated the option of taking some goodies home with us for later.

An apple a day…

Thanks again to the organizers for the invitation, and for putting on a wonderful event.

Recap: 4th Street Promenade What the Truck?!

Though we were hoping for a big crowd at our first What the Truck?! of the season, I’m not sure any of us knew just how many people would turn up for the event.

Our front yard!

Last Saturday, we hosted twelve trucks on the 4th Street Promenade. It was the second What the Truck?! to take place on that particular street, following up on our 2012 appearance in conjunction with Al Fresco.

Overhead shot

Thankfully this time around, the weather held up, and those who attended were able to enjoy eats ranging from S’wich’s root beer-braised brisket sandwiches (delicious, may I add) to poutine and fish tacos. It was great having three new trucks on hand: Big City Sandwich, Incredible Edibles and Nhon Hoa.

Big City Sandwich

We heard that many people weren’t able to stay due to the lines, but were happy that area restaurants welcomed patrons with open arms! In recognition that lines seemed longer than usual, we intend on expanding our line-up at the next event. That said, we still always recommend arriving as early as possible to guarantee yourself the best food selection, and to take the opportunity to meet your line neighbours! We always feel that What the Truck?! is as much about socializing as it is about the food.

I loved that Evoolution was out handing out samples to folks in line

A big thank-you to DJs Thomas Culture and Polyesterday, who helped create the party atmosphere that night. And without our sponsors – Capital City Cleanup, the Downtown Edmonton Community League, and in particular, the City Market, the event would not have been possible. A special shout-out also to the Blue Plate Diner, who helped us out that night as well.

If you missed out on the fun, not to worry – our second What the Truck?! of the season is taking place in Old Strathcona on Friday, June 13 from 5-9pm. Stay tuned to the website next week for a list of participating trucks.

Recap: Slow Food Edmonton’s Hijacked

Slow Food Edmonton seems to be picking up steam, with two of their spring events falling so on trend that people might forget all together that the food they’re consuming is good, clean and fair. The first of those events appealed to me because I was curious to see how they would involve a food truck so early on in the season.

Hijacked, which took place on March 8, 2014, was a collaboration between Slow Food Edmonton, Shovel & Fork, Drift, and Alley Kat Beer. The proceeds from the fundraiser were intended to help support SFE members attend the National Slow Food Conference in Halifax later this year.

Parked at Alley Kat

It was a casual event, the $30 non-member ticket price mainly going towards a glass of beer and food. My sisters and I socialized and perused the auction items, but were eager to chow down.

I have to say, SFE hit the weather jackpot, given the Saturday prior was close to –30. It was a fairly balmy evening, the perfect “winter” conditions for a food truck. Although it took some time for the grub to get going, it was ultimately worth the wait.

Each of us received a box of food fit for two people. Our favourite was the shroom melt, made with local mushrooms and onions and The Cheesiry’s pecorino. The sides – one, a northern bean salad with Doef’s peppers and cucumbers, and two, a Sundog Organics slaw with Shovel & Fork apple cider – were great accompaniments that stood up to the mains. I particularly loved the final touch of microgreens. For dessert, we were given a snail-shaped rice crispy treat – too cute.

Dinner at Hijacked

Our only complaint about the event was the lack of seating, something the organizers were very cognizant of, given one of the auction items was actually table seating for four. More cocktail tables would have made things easier to eat, most notably, the meatball sub. We watched as people spread out on the floor inside, or struggled to keep food off their shirts as they ate standing up. We ended up staying outside to take advantage of one of Drift’s cocktail tables, even as the mercury dropped after dark.

Winter patio!

The event was a success, with both seatings selling out. Their next event, a pizza pop-up at RGE RD, is already at capacity, but with this renewed momentum, I’d stay tuned to Slow Food Edmonton to learn when their next happening is taking place so you’re not disappointed!

Date Night: Hawkers Market & Parka Patio Party

In spite of how far we’ve come, there’s still a stereotype that nothing happens downtown on evenings and weekends. Well, on a recent weekend, we hopped from a great food event to a happening party, which all took place within a few blocks of one another.

We started out the evening at the second Hawkers Market to take place in Edmonton, again at the Mercer Warehouse. Conceived as an incubator of sorts for new food-related businesses, I think it still has a ways to go before it is able to attract the newer entrepreneurial efforts who really are seeking a platform to road test products.

Brittney and I at Hawkers Market

That said, Hawkers Market is still a great addition to the food scene in Edmonton, particularly in the winter, when economical events are harder to come by. Although the line-up of vendors was remarkably similar to the previous event, it didn’t deter the crowds. Organizers estimated about 100 more people this time around, and at least one vendor sold out an hour and a half into the evening.

The Drift team!

Kara of Drift Food Truck made a good point – the provision of seating really changed the experience for attendees. They encouraged people to linger and stay and to perhaps have another drink or dish that they wouldn’t have otherwise indulged in.

Busy night

As a result, the atmosphere seemed more festive, with friends gathering around tables, facilitating sharing all that much more. Mack and I sampled a handful of dishes, starting with bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers ($5) from Low & Slow Barbecue, a new vendor at the event. Some people might be familiar with them from the 124 Street Grand Market, but this was our first encounter with their food. Mack enjoyed them well enough, though we were told later on that their pulled pork was the standout.

Jalapeno poppers from Low & Slow Barbecue

Slow Food Edmonton had a booth, offering both sweet and savoury concoctions. I really liked their version of grilled cheese ($3), made up of a base of Bon Ton bread, a crackling crust of The Cheesiry’s pecorino, and a dollop of Mojo JoJo Pickles’ salted caramel pear butter.

Chad Moss cooks up some sandwiches

Slow Food Edmonton’s grilled cheese

Their local marshmallow trifecta ($4) was a unique dessert, with my favourite of the three being the honey-scented treat, topped with a honey toffee crumb.

Marshmallow treats from Slow Food Edmonton

Mack couldn’t resist Bully’s perogies and ham ($8). We anticipated tasty perogies, but what blew us away was the house cured and smoked ham steak, which was so tender it flaked under a fork alone. And you can always hand it to Bully to win the serving size sweepstakes!

Dean serves a mean ham!

Bully’s perogies and ham

Our favourite dish of the night was from Parts & Service, a food truck hoping to hit the streets this spring. Their take on chicken and waffles ($5) was ingenious from a street food perspective, as it could easily be eaten standing up with one hand. Not to mention, the house made chicken sausage (wrapped in a waffle cone) was delicious! It was served with maple syrup and an apple hot sauce, but really, the sausage was seasoned so well it didn’t need any accompaniments. I’m even more excited about their truck now!

Chicken and waffles from Parts & Service

I was most looking forward to dessert from Paper Bag Donuts (cooked up by Red Ox Inn chef Sean O’Connor). I had missed them at the last event, as I mistook their table as an extension of the bar. This time, they had an overhead sign advertising meyer lemon curd donuts ($3) and honey crullers ($5). We chose the latter, and weren’t disappointed with the warm, freshly fried treats.

Paper Bag Donuts

We had a great time, and based on that night, I think Hawkers Market has the potential to become a staple event in our community. For those who missed out, mark your calendars – the next event is scheduled for April 12, 2014.

Full, we walked over to Latitude 53, which was hosting their annual Parka Patio Party. Mack and I had attended their first ever winter patio party in 2012, but the weather had been kinder that year. This year, with temperatures hovering around –30 with windchill, we were grateful that the event had an indoor component.

Parka Patio Party

That said, we had dressed for an outdoor function, and like other attendees, had no use for the coat racks set aside.

What coat racks?

Hot tea and soup were served inside, but playing up the Ice Land theme, organizers were offering make-your-own cocktails out on the patio. Not only did this involve an ice luge, but also an array of frozen fruit. Needless to say, we gave it a shot.

Ice luge!

If that wasn’t enough, Pinocchio Ice Cream was also on hand sampling newer product varieties – popcorn and salted caramel ice cream.

Tom from Pinocchio Ice Cream

A DJ kept the spirits up indoors, and in addition to art up for silent auction, there was also a fun “Scandinavian Toy-Scape” installed in the space (I loved the little waving monster!).

Too cute

It was great to catch up with some familiar faces at the party, and to take part in a winter event, that in spite of the cold, played to a packed house.

The cold didn’t keep people away

Thanks again to Latitude 53 for the tickets! Here’s hoping it’s just a few degrees warmer next year.

2013 What the Truck?! Roundup

While I did recap the first three What the Truck?! events that took place this year (Ginger Beef Throwdown, Old Strathcona and The Quarters), I fell off the wagon this summer and failed to keep up with the rest.

Louise McKinney Riverfront Park

Louise McKinney is a beautiful location to be sure, one that provides a gorgeous vantage point and approach to the river valley. However, we knew that the gradient and the few access points might act as barriers for some, but we were hoping that the trucks would be enough of a draw on August 24, 2013.

We had to change our original site map on the fly due to a concurrent event taking place in the adjacent park, which worked for the most part, but wasn’t perfect. Due to the same event, on-site parking was even more scarce. And so, in order to prevent drivers from looping through the vending area, Mack and I ended up having to second our family members to act as parking attendants and control vehicle access. While a majority of people were understanding (and took advantage of our recommendation to park along Jasper Avenue), it really was disheartening to see the number of drivers who didn’t hesitate to spew vitriol when told there was no on-site parking available. Mobility challenges and families with young children aside, I couldn’t fathom why some didn’t want to take advantage of an absolutely gorgeous day and spend more time outdoors.

Louise McKinney

That aside, for those that did take in the event, we heard pretty positive feedback. The relatively smaller crowd meant shorter lines, and everyone seemed to appreciate the location’s proximity to our river valley.

Beautiful vantage point

It was great to see people sprawled out on the grass, picnicking with their buffet spreads, or utilizing concrete parking curbs as benches.

Al fresco!

I was able to try Yellow Bird’s gyu-don beef rice bowl. The one dish filled me up for the rest of the evening, a tasty combination of beef, egg and veggies.

Gyu-don from Yellow Bird

A big thanks to the Shaw Conference Centre, who allowed us to set up in their parking lot, and to the Downtown Edmonton Community League for sponsoring a number of our events this year (including this one).

Churchill Square

Our final What the Truck?! in Churchill Square on September 20, 2013 was our biggest event ever, and it was not only clear that the Square was bursting at the seams with vendors, but also that food trucks have been thoroughly embraced by Edmontonians.

Churchill Square (photo by Dave Feltham)

We were really fortunate this season with good weather, and this was exemplified that Friday. It was a fitting finale for summer, and revelers came out in droves.

The crowds! (photo by Dave Feltham)

Some of the lines were long and rather unwieldy, but I’m happy to say that it looked like most people were enjoying themselves, catching up with old friends or meeting new ones.

Dining out

And while we welcomed a few new trucks to our WTT family that day, we didn’t know that we were saying goodbye to one. It was the last service for The Lingnan Express – Miles sold the truck to another proprietor, who will be rebranding the truck to be launched in 2014.

We’re always indebted to DJ Thomas Scott and his friends, who bring just the right party atmosphere to our events. You rock!

DJ Thomas Scott

And what can we say to thank our hard working volunteers, who perform thankless jobs like garbage collection? We couldn’t do it without you.

Super Su!

Thanks to everyone who came out that night and helped us celebrate a great year.

What the Truck?! Gives Back

We capped our season with a special service at the Bissell Centre. Our desire was to try and replicate the spirit of our other pop-up events, but of course, this one had one major twist: the food was free.

Six trucks served over 900 meals to underprivileged individuals that day. We can’t tell you how rewarding it was to see people enjoying themselves.

Bully at work

We always knew we were lucky to have such a great food truck community in Edmonton, but the participating vendors that day took that statement to another level. Thanks to The Act Out & About, Bully, Lemon Grass Grill, Little Village, The Local Omnivore, and Sailin’ On for your generous contributions.

Big hearts!

It was also a wonderful experience working with the staff from the Bissell Centre. The agency has had a rough month, experiencing a fire in their Thrift Shoppe, but the staff were more than accommodating to help us put on this event on their day off! Thanks to the staff and volunteers for their hard work.

Looking to 2014

You can be sure What the Truck?! will be back next year (we’ve already started brainstorming locations!), but perhaps the most exciting thing for us is an expanded team! We know this event could be so much more, but Mack and I aren’t able to grow it on our own. So we’ve invited a few more people to the table who will lend new ideas, perspectives and energy to the events. Welcome Caleng, Dave and Melina – I’m looking forward to working with you in 2014.

Team What the Truck?!

See you next year!

Recap: Hawkers Market Edmonton

The first ever Hawkers Market in Edmonton took place on Saturday, November 30 in the basement of the Mercer Warehouse (otherwise known as Vacancy Hall). Originating in Vancouver, Hawkers Market intends to “create a space where vibrant and exciting local food can be discovered…a place to conduct commerce, rapidly test ideas and meet customers face to face.” As a result, I expected the event to be similar in nature to the Toronto Underground Market I attended last year, which is set-up as an opportunity for start-up food businesses to grow and make a name for themselves in a competitive market. No doubt, one of the busiest vendors at TUM that night was La Carnita, which is now one of the most popular taquerias in Toronto.

Hawkers Market

Mack and I were given free admission tickets, but I did purchase two $10 advance tickets for my sisters. Menus weren’t available in advance, but when we arrived, we found that food averaged between $5-7.

With my sisters

Given it was Hawkers Market’s first time in Edmonton, a few hiccups were to be expected. For one, the start time was 5pm, though this was inconsistent on some of the advertised Eventbrite information. As well, with some power issues and poor ventilation, it will be interesting to see if Vacancy Hall will continue to host this event.

Getting busy

Eight vendors were set up along the periphery of the room, with a DJ adding to the party atmosphere. Though we were somewhat surprised to see that five of the vendors were existing or soon-to-be food truck operators, in a way, the timing perfectly complements the food truck off-season. That said, we were hoping to see more newly-established businesses, but I am guessing this will come as word spreads about Hawkers Market.

The Bully Food Truck team!

Drift’s mini truck replica greeted guests walking in, but perhaps even more enticing was their menu offering, a Burmese dish of khao swe ($5). One of Nevin’s family recipes, the coconut chicken noodles were served up and ready to be customized with an assortment of toppings: green onions, cilantro, fried onions, chickpea chips and sticks, boiled egg, lemon and red chili flakes. It was fun to make the dish to our taste, delectable as it already was.

Mini Drift!

Khao swe from Drift

Notably, Drift was also selling their signature ketchup and spice, nicely packaged for holiday giving. If you missed it, you can now pick up the products at Acme Meats!

Give the gift of Drift

Amanda high-tailed it pretty quick to Sailin’ On, her favourite food truck. We shared an order of chili-lime tofu tacos ($9), with refried beans, vegan cheddar, veggies, salsa verde and lime. She wasn’t disappointed with her pick.

Chili-lime tofu tacos from Sailin’ On

I didn’t expect a restaurant like XIX Nineteen to participate in Hawkers Market, though in hindsight, it was an opportunity to interact with a whole new group of potential patrons. Felicia ordered a dish of rabbit and gnocchi poutine ($5 without the meat) to try. It was a creative dish well-suited to the environment it was being cooked and served in, and the gnocchi was tasty in and of itself.

Gnocchi poutine from XIX Nineteen

In that same vein, Casa Doce, a food truck which has mostly operated in Sherwood Park this past year, showcased their Mexican cuisine to a different audience. We tried their jalapeno and queso fresco tamale ($5), topped with beans and pickled onions. It was piping hot, and definitely meant to be shared by a group.

Tamale from Casa Doce

It was exciting to see two brand new vendors launching at Hawkers Market who don’t yet already have an existing storefront or truck. Parts & Service is a forthcoming food truck, their name inspired by some of the off-cuts of meat they will be using. That night, they were serving up duck confit and roasted bone marrow ($5); we ordered the latter. Served with crostini and topped with fennel salsa, it was a memorable dish that immediately set them apart from other trucks.

Roasted bone marrow from Parts & Service

Unfortunately, we missed sampling the dessert from Paper Bag Donuts, courtesy of Red Ox Inn’s Sean O’Connor. To be honest, I saw a tiny sign with the letters “PBD” on the corner, but didn’t investigate any further – our loss. Hopefully Paper Bag Donuts pops-up again soon!

The one vendor that wasn’t quite like the others was South Island Pie Company, which had presence at the City Market this summer. They weren’t sampling any products, and instead, were selling frozen pies for takeaway. We did pick up a pair on our way out, as we were heading home and could stash them in our freezer, but given they were the odd booth out, we hoped they were successful through the night.

South Island Pie Company

So while the majority of the vendors weren’t necessarily new, I think Hawkers Market still accomplished their mission of increasing the exposure of small food businesses. It sounds like a second Hawkers Market is scheduled for February 22, 2014, so keep an eye out for more details!

Recap: 97 Street Night Market

Over the summer, I worked with a team of volunteers to put on an event that we hoped would encourage Edmontonians to rediscover Chinatown. The neighbourhood is so full of history and possibility, but has largely been overlooked over the last number of years. While we recognized that the Business Revitalization Zone and to a greater extent, the McCauley Revitalization Strategy, had attempted to facilitate positive developments, we believed that something different was needed to foster the imagination of what Chinatown could be.

From there, the 97 Street Night Market was born. With a generous grant from the City and some committed supporters, we were able to transform a vacant parking lot into a welcoming space that introduced or reacquainted patrons with the dynamic nature of night markets right in the heart of Chinatown.

97 Street Night Market

Vendors were the commercial anchor for the event, and we were happy to have engaged some area businesses, including Universal Music and Pacific Café, as well as others from around the city. The range of trinkets to fashion items was varied enough for visitors of all ages!

Gama

No doubt, one of the most popular booths that day was actually one of ours – we had borrowed a set of fortune sticks from the Edmonton Chinese Bilingual Education Association, and volunteers sold fortunes for $1 a pop. That night, nearly 200 fortunes were told!

Step right up!

We were fortunate to have The Lingnan Express, Molly’s Eats and Swich on-site, offering Asian-inspired dishes, including oyster omelettes, curried fish balls and matcha green tea ice cream sandwiches. Though not from the window of a food truck, Gama was able to offer another night market staple – bubble tea.

Food trucks

Char siu pulled pork sandwich from Molly’s Eats

In addition, the market provided us with an opportunity to highlight many young performers. Some were more traditional, such as 5 Elements, who opened the evening with an engaging lion dance, while others displayed a fusion of cultures, including Nanyen Lau, who played the Titanic anthem of “My Heart Will Go On” on an erhu.

5 Elements

Edmonton Chinese Dance Academy

My favourite act was the energetic Convergence Dance Crew, who drew the biggest crowds to the stage with their infectious K-pop covers of Psy’s recent hits.

Convergence Dance Crew

Patrons also had the chance to participate in three different walking tours of the neighbourhood that highlighted various facets of Chinatown. The first had nearly thirty participants so engrossed in the tour the guides ended up doubling the originally-intended length! No question, we learned that tours of all varieties should be offered of Chinatown on a regular basis; people are curious, and want to learn about the neighbourhood’s rich history and hopeful future.

Tour group

For me, it was the creation of a neutral, safe space that most excited me. The perceived “ethnicity” of Chinatown is daunting to some who aren’t familiar with its businesses, while for others, the stereotype of an unsafe, neglected neighbourhood discourages exploration. That night, it was heartening to see people of all generations from many different backgrounds convening in a single parking lot, feasting, shopping, and otherwise socializing. It was a gathering place not normally found in Chinatown, and one that I hope will be replicated in the future.

Beautiful sunset

There are a litany of people to thank who helped make this event a reality. Qualico and Ledcor generously donated the site, and worked around our request, in spite of the ongoing demolition of the building directly south of the lot. Jane Molstad of the McCauley Revitalization Strategy immediately recognized the potential of this idea, and worked tirelessly to ensure the grant came through! We also couldn’t have done without the enthusiastic and hard working day-of volunteers. Lastly, thanks to all those who came, taking a chance on a first time event!

I’ve been asked more than once if the night market will become an annual event. Although I can’t answer the question definitively yet, I can say that a few of us are working to continue the momentum we began that day in some form or another. Stay tuned!

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