The Asia Institute-Crane House (AICH) hosted its third annual Asian Night Market on Saturday Sep. 15, 2024. The event always occurs at the same time as the Mid Autumn Festival, a Chinese harvest festival. Crowds of people filled Fourth Street Live to enjoy the free event with 17 food and retail vendors, nine group performances and a variety of cultural activities and crafts.

 The AICH, a local community center promoting the understanding of Asian cultures, runs the night market. Joel Buno, nine year AICH partner and current executive director of the AICH, is the main coordinator for the Asian Night Market. 

Buno enjoyed going to night markets in the Philippines, China, Thailand and Taiwan, and wanted to emulate the experience in Louisville.

“That’s something as a community I very rarely saw here in the states,” Buno said. 

The AICH used existing connections with local food trucks and entertainment groups and coordinated with Fourth Street Live to launch the first annual Asian Night Market.

“After our first year it was very, very successful. It has grown since the first year,” Buno said. 

The night market has given the Asian community in Louisville more positive recognition, helping dispel pandemic rumors.

“People were criticizing Asians for the Kung flu or the China virus,” Buno said. Buno wanted to counter these comments and educate the community.

“I wanted to make sure that people knew that Asians are just great community partners,” Buno said. The event helped the AICH’s recognition tremendously. 

The night market also has a significant effect on the community.

“I remember my first night market people would say, ‘I had no idea that there were so many Asians that lived here in Louisville’,” Buno said. The market allows Asians in Louisville to experience what they miss from their own countries. 

Additionally, the event supports local food trucks and retail vendors. “It helps some of the community’s small business owners acquire some revenue,” Buno said. 

However, the AICH does not profit from the Asian Night Market.

“A lot of people think that there is money and proceeds that we get out of this. There really isn’t. A lot of the money that we raise goes to the event, and we pay the entertainers for their performances,” Buno said. The event is also free to the public, so ticket sales don’t provide any revenue.

A lot of planning and coordinating goes into the Asian Night Market, but seeing the community get together in downtown Louisville makes it worth it for Buno.

“It’s just an opportunity for us to gather together and celebrate what makes Asia special,” Buno said. The community has the opportunity to experience Asian culture without traveling across the world.

Buno is happy with how engaged the Asian community has been with the Asian Night Market. The Asian community is one of the fastest growing foreign born communities in Louisville, and the Asian Night Market really represents that.

“I just think this showcases the best that we have to offer here. Although we’re from Asia, we are still American,” Buno emphasized.

“We contribute to the success of Louisville,” he said.

The Asian Night Market has been a huge success the past three years, and the AICH plans to continue it in the future. It provides a  space for Asian and non-Asian community members to gather together and experience Asian culture.

“So that’s my favorite part, seeing everyone together and seeing everyone just enjoy their time for at least one night in the evening, just to celebrate,” Buno said.