‘Get a sitter’: San Francisco’s new night market has a distinct beach party vibe

The open-air night market model has been successfully imported from Asia to various neighborhoods across San Francisco, including Chinatown, the Sunset, and downtown.

However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for innovation.

With support from the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, San Francisco arts and culture nonprofit ArtyHood is launching Taraval Night Market by the Beach on Saturday.

The event, scheduled from 3 to 9 p.m. at Taraval Street and the Great Highway, aims to merge the traditional night market experience — featuring food, entertainment, and drinks — with an Ocean Beach party open to the public.

For those planning to catch the most picturesque views, sunset is set for 7:07 p.m.

Lauro González-Arias, founder of ArtyHood, said that unlike the nearby Sunset Night Market, which included family-friendly activities like a stinky tofu eating contest (in which our own Han Li participated), this market-slash-party is designed to cater more to an adult crowd.

“We’re not primarily targeting families and kids,” González-Arias said. “It’s meant for parents to hire a sitter and enjoy a fun night on the beach.”

This means a full bar, two performance stages with DJ sets and live music, and a variety of food options, including siu mai and spicy wontons from United Dumplings, Jollof rice from Oakland’s Jollof Kitchen, and panko-crusted coconut shrimp from Unco Frank’s.

Nearby businesses are also hosting events for those wanting to keep the party going. For example, the Riptide, a divey honky-tonk bar at 3639 Taraval St., is offering free bingo, Jello shots, and a performance by local folk-rock trio the Low Rollers.

In November, San Francisco voters will decide on Prop. K, which would permanently close the Upper Great Highway (from Sloat Boulevard to Lincoln Way) to private vehicles, establishing an open recreation space. The issue has become a political flashpoint, with the community divided over the potential traffic and environmental impacts of the closure.

Securing permits for the event directly adjacent to the beach posed unique challenges, but González-Arias said it was worth navigating the city’s bureaucracy for the opportunity to try something new.

“The spot being so close to nature — the beach and the ocean — is something magical that we don’t often experience in San Francisco,” González-Arias said.

“Part of the challenge,” he added, is helping visitors “envision what it could look like to turn this into a public space year-round.”