The Richmond Night Market is one of the biggest weekend night markets in Canada and sees over 1 million visitors each year. It is an outdoor festival filled of vendors featuring street food, various retail items, and daily performances. It is no doubt one of the most popular places locals and visitors make a stop at during summer.
In 2022, the Richmond Night Market is returning starting on April 29th – Oct 10th and the admission cost is yet to be announced.
Dig into this comprehensive guide to Richmond Night Market for tips to battle the ravenous crowds, find the best food booths, coupons, and more!
Where is the Richmond Night Market Located?
Richmond Night Market is located at 8351 River Rd right, a giant gravel lot that is one block away from the Bridgeport Canada Line Station and next door to River Rock Casino.
The most common way to get to Richmond Night Market is by either train or car. If you opt to go by train, hop off at Bridgeport Canada Line Station and follow the crowd.
By car you’ll want to get to the market super early or before closing – or else you’ll spend a long time finding a spot at the Market’s parking lot. Sneakily parking at Lansdowne Centre and then training to Bridgeport Station is also a common method.
Why Is The Richmond Night Market Popular?
Every year when summer rolls around the corner, Richmond celebrates the biggest and most bustling night market in Metro Vancouver.
The event typically takes place on weekends from May to October, distilling all-night extravaganzas of tastes, smells, and sounds into a single location. Weave through 80 different vendors to find your favorite treats amongst 500+ international food items, get some knick-knacks and Asian clothing. Popping up over the dusty grounds is a plethora of Hello Kitty junk, quirky cell phone cases, and a giant rubber ducky beckoning you at the entrance.
The Richmond Night Market has also become sort of a tradition for locals to visit at least once with their friends or family.
So what are you waiting for? Be ready to be rapt, awestruck, and well-fed again!
The Best Things to Do and See at Richmond Night Market
Eat Your Heart Out At The Food Stalls
The biggest draw of The Richmond Night Market is no doubt the line of food vendors. With the view of the food being made infront of you, it makes you feel as if you’re in Asia!
You’ll find your run-of-mill Asian street food items like Rotato chips, deep fried squid, curry fish balls, taiyaki, and assortments of sugary drinks like bubble tea and sugar cane juice.
And a big draw for many foodies is the new and unique items that make an appearance every year. One year it’s rainbow cotton candy. Another year it’s jiggly pancakes or sushi tacos. Each year people are on the lookout for the next Instagram-worthy item to chow down on.
As fun as this all sounds, be cautious about two things: wait time and cost.
If you’re going as a group, you’ll want to split up and hit up multiple vendors at once. That way you get your order number and get your food as soon as possible. Or else you’ll be standing there waiting for your food for 15 minutes every time. Getting to the market early can help, but not all stalls are ready right away. And getting to the market late may get you a hefty discount as stalls try to clear inventory…but you run the risk of popular spots selling out by then.
And if you’re used to street food prices in Asia, you’ll be super disappointed. Be ready to drop $10 on any one item and spend at least $50 to be full. If you’re not ready to do that, consider heading to the Night Market as an after-dinner activity.
Enjoy A Bit Of Random Retail Therapy
A common post-food activity is wandering around the many retail vendors at the Night Market. Here you’ll find an abundant amount of cute Korean socks (our fav.), phone case stalls, anime stationery and toys, random apparel, samurai swords, and other seemingly random vendors.
Marvel at the Life-Like Dinosaurs
Although the main mascot is a friendly cartoony duck, you’ll find several moving and roaring dinosaurs at the Magical Dino Park. These were the biggest hooks for families with kids in the past years when Richmond Night Market took place.
Teaming up with a patron of life-size brachiosaurus, stegosaurus, T Rex, velociraptor, and triceratops are prehistoric lizard-like creatures to give you a wow moment!
Find a New Friend for Your Pooch at the Dog Play Area
Being a dog-friendly night bizarre, Richmond Night Market even dedicates a whole big spot for visitors who tag their pooches along.
No more feeling guilty for leaving your furry kids at home! Take them with you for a networking night and let them have the moment of their life while you’re munching on your favorite bites.
Toys are there so they can snag anything they like! The Dog Play Are allows one dog per couple. Put a mussel on it if it’s large! And no dogs are allowed in the Food Court area!
Rest Your Feet and Unwind under the Music Stage
On one end of the market, you’ll find a music concert with a large seating area under the stage. There’s always something going on no matter which day of the weekend you’re coming.
The shows will add more charm to the night, featuring local artists and bands. From a dancing crew to magic makers and jazz players, get ready to sway to the beat and chill!
What Is the Best Time to Visit Richmond Night Market?
Get there before 8 pm to ensure a spot in the parking lot and get ahead of the crowd. The line rapidly grows to epic lengths by around 7:45 pm, and chances are you will be standing in line for 45 minutes to enter the market if you don’t have the Zoom Pass at hand.
If you’re going in a group, opt for zoom pass you can skip that long line.
10 Essential Tips to Know Before Hitting Richmond Night Market
- Pre-purchase your tickets through the Hello Chat app to avoid a long entry line.
- Obtain the Zoom Pass online to get bumped up to the front of the line. The Zoom Pass is transferable and also available for group purchase. It lets you enter through the Express Entrance with early access prior to the opening time at 7 pm with return visits.
- Eating more while saving more is not only worth an imagination! Snag a free Coupon Book using only your phone number, get verified, and present it at the vendor booth for your discount.
- The market will operate at a reduced capacity to ensure guests’ safety.
- The seating area has been expanded 3 times larger than previous years to maintain social distancing.
- Get comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk and stand all night!
- Most vendors are cash-based, so don’t expect them to swipe your card!
- Moving around in a group is not a good idea. Instead, pick a meeting spot and have everyone bring their food back there to eat.
- Ride the SkyTrain if you can! Parking is free but it’s limited and fills up quickly. Board the Canada Line, get off at Bridgeport Station, and walk along River Road for 5 minutes to get to Richmond Night Market.
- Double-check for updates before coming! They always inform current news such as closing due to the weather on their Facebook page.
Parking at Richmond Night Market
Parking at Richmond Night Market is free. The parking lot is right outside of the gate but it fills up very quickly by 8 pm.
Address: 8351 River Rd, Richmond, BC V6X 1Y4