SAN FRANCISCO – On Friday, San Francisco Chinatown kicked off a series of night markets that will last for at least the next five months.

This comes as the event recently received national recognition.                              

A lion dance is among the elements that bring color and character, setting this night market apart.

Organizers said it draws anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 people to the event, which takes place on the second Friday of the month.

“What I like about it is the variety of drinks and food. They have dim sum, sushi,” said Nancy Jew, a San Francisco resident. 

Ramiro Meza of Fresno came with friends for the first time and said the lion dance and the Chinese food stood out to him.

“It’s very nice. It embraces the culture. For us, from out of town, it’s nice to see the different cultures.” 

The first Chinatown night market debuted in November 2023 to celebrate the APEC Conference.

It featured 20 vendors and spanned two blocks.

Now, a year and a half later, the night market has more than doubled in size, with 40 vendors covering seven blocks.

And recently, USA Today readers chose it as the no. 1 night market in the country, and the founder, Lily Lo, was honored.

“It’s very exciting. I’m very proud. It’s something I never thought about,” Lo said.

Lo said she started the night market as a way to generate foot traffic to help the many merchants who were struggling post-pandemic.

Dig deeper:

It’s a grassroots effort.

It’s staffed with about 100 volunteers, from high school students to retirees.

The night market depends on donations and the Civic Joy Fund, which was co-founded by Mayor Daniel Lurie before he was elected.

“We, as a city, want to support efforts like this: entertainment zones throughout the city, night markets. They’re working. Let’s keep it going,” said Lurie. 

Eunice Lu and her parents own Lady Luck Café and Hong Kong Clay Pot Restaurant on Grant Avenue.

She said whenever there’s a night market, their business more than doubles, so she keeps the café and restaurant open later on those nights.

She also runs a stand outside during the night market.

Lu said customers who purchase food there have returned to patronize her family’s businesses, and that “I love how lively it is. It brings a sense of community. And everybody’s here to have a good time and try good food.”  

Organizers said this event has funding to run monthly through at least October. They’ll be fundraising to make sure night markets continue next year. 

Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave a message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU,  Instagram @AmberKTVU  or Twitter @AmberKTVU

Friday’s BART shutdown brought much of the Bay Area to a standstill, offering a sobering preview of what could become a daily reality if public transit agencies are forced to make drastic service cuts due to looming budget shortfalls.

Transportation officials have long warned about a “fiscal cliff” expected in 2026, when one-time federal pandemic relief funds run out. Without new revenue, agencies like BART face multimillion-dollar deficits that could result in severe service reductions.

BART officials confirmed that their remaining one-time federal funds will be depleted by next year, leaving the agency staring down an annual structural deficit estimated at $350 to $400 million beginning in fiscal year 2027.

“If we do nothing, we’re going to see massive service cuts at BART, elimination of an entire line or two, closure of stations, scaling back or elimination of evening and weekend service,” said State Senator Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco).

The impact of Friday’s shutdown was immediate and widespread. Morning commuters scrambled to find alternative routes to work and school, leading to long delays, packed ferries, and costly rideshares.

“I looked at the alert and saw the traffic. I saw everything go not red, but dark red,” said Ian Ratzer, who took the San Francisco Bay Ferry from Oakland to San Francisco.

“Their suggestion is to take some buses. But I looked that up, and it was five different buses and it would’ve taken two hours,” said Laura Braun, who was running late for her job in Downtown.

“The ferry was pretty busy for a Friday,” added Precious Bautista, who traveled into the city from Vallejo.

Angelica Galang, a San Francisco resident, was late for her company retreat in Oakland due to the disruption.

“BART is shut down everywhere, so I Ubered to the Ferry Building. It was $50 for six miles. Now I’m taking the ferry to Alameda, and then taking another Uber to Lake Merritt,” Galang said. What should have been a 30-minute BART ride, she noted, turned into an expensive 90-minute ordeal.

“This is why we need to fund public transportation because this is what it leads to if we don’t,” Galang added.

San Francisco leaders and transit advocates echoed those concerns.

“It affects everyone. And if you are a driver, even if you never take transit, BART failing affects you because it means tons of traffic congestion,” said Senator Wiener, who is working with State Senator Jesse Arreguín (D–Berkeley) to secure $2 billion in state funding for public transportation.

The two lawmakers are also crafting a 2026 regional ballot measure—a proposed half-cent sales tax—to support BART, Muni, and other Bay Area transit systems. Wiener hopes to place the measure on the November 2026 ballot.

Cyrus Hall, a Bay Area transit advocate, emphasized the broader economic consequences of allowing public transit to deteriorate.

“The Bay Bridge would become unnavigable, it would become completely congested and packed with cars. The commute into the city would take hours longer. And we just cannot accept that future as a region. It would be devastating economically,” Hall said.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie also stressed the importance of a robust transit network.

“BART and MUNI are critical to our revival here in San Francisco and obviously critical to the region. So we need a well-functioning BART, a well-functioning MUNI. And we’re going to need to go to the voters to discuss it next year,” said Lurie.

For now, riders like Galang are hoping they won’t have to endure another chaotic morning commute anytime soon.

“A lot of stress. My company understands—but it’s been a morning,” she said.