Filipino Night Market returns to the Filipino Cultural Heritage District in SF

Some of the food of 5A BBQ will be among the culinary offerings at the night market.

SAN FRANCISCO'S Filipino American night market won't be like Manila's Divisoria or Legazpi markets but it will have the same spirit, good eats and joyful entertainment of those traditional markets with a Filipino American spin. And the food -- oh -- the food!

The second season of the wildly popular night market will begin Saturday, July 21 and returns every third Saturday through October.

The primary model was never the palengke night markets that you can find all over Manila, but rather some combination of Off the Grid, Outsidelands, and the Renegade Craft Fair, according to Desi Danganan, executive director of Cultivate Labs, the nonprofit that runs the market along with Undiscovered SF.

The food is what Danganan calls the “third wave” of Filipino cuisine in America—not steam-table joints (the first wave) or Frenchy fine dining (the second), but next-generation Filipino American chefs “flipping Filipino food in a hundred different directions,” whether that be via lumpia that tastes like a cheeseburger or a Filipino-Mexican burrito stuffed with pork sisig.

There will be at least a dozen food purveyors, including the popular Senor Sigsig, Jeepney Guy, Sarap Shop and Bombzies BBQ.

Last year's wildly popular inaugural season drew 35,000 and was held indoors at the historic San Francisco Mint building. This year, the night market will be even more reminiscent of Manila's markets by relocating it outdoors in the alley ways of the South of Market neighborhood where thousands of Filipino Americans reside.

“We are creating an experience around what the Filipino-American community in the Bay Area feels like, looks like, sounds like, and tastes like," said Gina Mariko Rosales, event producer and co-founder of Undiscovered SF.

"Last year, we were limited by capacity in the SF Mint, so this year we’re excited to move fully outdoors into open public space for everyone to enjoy," she said.

UNDISCOVERED SF

Last year's night markets attracted 35,000 people.

Marketgoers will be able to buy books, hats, unique, deisgner clothes, arts and crafts from the 50 retailers present. 

Since its a Filipino event, music will play a big part of it. Besides the expected Karaoke, kicking off the festival on July 21 are the legendary DJs Qbert and Shortkut of the Invisbl Skratch Piklz, playing a rare collaborative set together on 4 turntables; alongside new school tastemaker Kronika of Soulection.

"Filipino American DJs Qbert and Shortkut are considered the pioneers of Turntablism and rank up there with Hip-Hop's elite. They also happen to be from the Bay Area, and we’re thrilled to showcase two local legends who paved the way for an entire generation of DJs, including myself," said Marky Enriquez, Music Curator/DJ.

RSVP:​ http://undiscoveredsf.com

IF YOU GO: The entrance is at 401 Fifth Street (Behind the San Francisco Chronicle building), 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

COST: This is the best part. It's totally FREE!.

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