Is Atlanta International Night Market the BEST Atlanta food festival
Yes, I think it is! Atlanta International Night Market is a fun, affordable and DELICIOUS way to spend a weekend
What makes the Atlanta International Night Market the best Atlanta food festival? Diversity. This is a fantastic mix of cultures with vendors (over 200 of them) and performers from Asia, the Caribbean, Mexico and many parts of the U.S., according to reports over 70 nationalities were represented. The first one was held in April 2017 at Gwinnett Place Mall, it will be returning to that location in November.
After paying a five dollar entry fee at the gate (they have more ticket options available online) we split up. The teens headed off together while my husband and I took the opportunity to have a fun date night. We would run into them a few times while we were there but the festival space is large and crowded so we didn’t see each other often.
You know I had to get one of those juicy coconuts after I saw this gentleman wielding a machete….clearly I was happy about it. The music was blaring, the sun was shining, and I was sipping coconut juice. We were off to a good start.
The first thing we ate was tasty grilled quail, the product of a collaboration between local restaurant JD’s Grill (which I can’t find any information about) and the soon to open (according to their blog) New York’s The Mekong Taste Vietnamese restaurant.
Here’s a quick slideshow of some of the food and performances at Atlanta International Night Market. This barely scratches the surface of all the food, beverage, clothing and toy vendors…it’s just a little taste of the market.
Prices for food were very reasonable. Khmer Kitchen (I couldn’t find any info on them online) had the lowest price I saw with chicken or beef skewers for $2-$3 each. You could get a skewer on top of a healthy mound of slaw for only $2 more. Most food items were about $5 a serving. The Cousins Maine Lobster truck had the most expensive dish I saw with their lobster rolls going for about $15. They had a huge line of folks at their truck waiting for it, too.
My favorite bite was bulgogi and rice from Boxete Korean Bistro. I must have been extremely hungry because I ate it before I took a picture of it. For you non meat eaters Atlanta International Night Market has a “Veggie Village” full of vendors selling vegetarian and vegan dishes. No one will go hungry here.
Live dance and musical performances were on the main stage all day long. There were DJ booths all over the festival grounds, some broadcasting live to their stations. I heard a few of my favorite dancehall reggae tunes from the 90’s as we strolled from vendor to vendor. It was one huge party.
Definitely check the Atlanta International Night Market out if you get the chance. Go with your family, bring a date, go on your own or with friends. There is something for everyone, I think you’ll have a good time.
