Agomoni Saha, Contributing Photographer

New Haven’s semiannual night market attracted local artists and small business owners to share their talents with thousands of customers on Saturday night.

From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., The night market occupied two blocks of Chapel Street — between York Street and College Street. The market featured four live performances, 58 street vendors and nine food vendors, including local restaurants like Oh K-Dog and Lazeez Indian Cuisine. Shoppers played with cornhole and Jenga sets, got temporary tattoos and participated in button-making and community mural painting activities. The Town Green District, the event organizers, also held a raffle and sold New Haven Night Market merchandise. 

New Havener Delilah Quezada sold personalized pet toys and elastic, adjustable pet bandanas at the market for her business, Creations by OKISS. As a first-time night market vendor, she said she did not expect turnout to be so high and that she loved seeing the reactions that “pet parents” had to her products.

Quezada also noted the unifying spirit of the market.

“I feel like the New Haven Night Market is a great way to bring both [New Haven residents and Yale students] together,” she said.

Creations by OKISS was one of many online shops and small businesses that used the event to showcase their products to a larger audience. Aly Fox, owner of Foxspark Design — a business that uses natural dyes made from pomegranate, onion skins and other natural sources — was also a first-time vendor at the night market. 

Fox said she liked running a booth but was eager to explore the market, which she said she has done in past years as a customer. 

“It’s cool [to be a vendor], but at the same time, I want to go see everybody’s stall,” she said. “It feels like you get to be on the other side and be offering something to the community as much as enjoying it.”

George Gross, co-founder of Your Queer Plant Shop, said they enjoyed sharing their passion for plants with people in the community and appreciated the ambiance of the market. They told the News they felt that the New Haven Night Market was special because it prioritized artists and makers over resellers.

Tony Potchernikov ’24 was one of Gross’s customers and purchased a terrarium from Your Queer Plant Shop as he explored the market. Potchernikov expressed his satisfaction with the market, saying that it was similarly enjoyable to a market he visited over the summer. 

Amelia Wilkinson ’27 echoed this sentiment, as the event reminded her of the small farmers markets she would visit growing up in a small town in Oregon. She was looking forward to exploring the jewelry vendors and enjoyed the energy of the market.

Kellie Linch, a resident of neighboring Hamden and longtime visitor of the night market, was excited to see its expansion over the years. She complimented the market’s atmosphere, pointing out the white “bistro lights” that were strung up along the length of Chapel Street.

“The city sort of revs up for the night, and it makes you feel like ‘Oh, I wish this happened every Friday night,’” she said. 

Linch added that the night market is an event she enjoys attending with her daughter, as it has a “beautiful blend” of activities for all ages.

The New Haven Night Market is held twice a year and will make another appearance in the city in spring 2024.