I attended the January 2022 edition of this annual event, occurring at Lunar New Year. Centered on the Asian Pacific American community, this event celebrates cultural diversity, cuisine, art, and music. Organized by the Asian Chamber of Commerce, I know that in the past this required admission but this year's was free. I would not be surprised if it becomes an admission-only event in the future as it was packed from the entry time of 5:30. Given that the city of Mesa has decided to invest considerable resources to brand the area as an Asian enclave, I suspect it will get bigger and more impressive each year.
While there are a ton of food trucks here, my advice would be not to show up hungry. Nearly every stall had long lines (save the poor coffee vendor). I would like to say that lines moved quickly, but most did not. I think it is better to have eaten a little something first and then show up and have a snack or two or come later in the evening when the live music really gets going. But if you plan to make this your sole dinner stop it will be frustrating. One perk of a big festival like this is that many smaller caterers/restaurants/food trucks that you haven't heard of will show up. There was plenty that was new to me and gave me a bucket list of places to try.
I got some bao buns from Hot Bamboo which has a brick-and-mortar location in Chandler as well as a food truck that often pops up at festivals across town. They make Instagrammable character buns. It's a bit cheesy but the price was good and they were flavorful and satisfying. They were temporarily out of some fillings and the employees were profusely apologetic. It did inspire me to want to one day visit their actual restaurant.
The vibe was great and the 2022 edition was a nice blend of people from all walks of life eager to celebrate our post-pandemic world (yeah, Year of the Tiger!). Besides food trucks, there were a few vendors selling gifts and other items but nothing popped out as too special.
You can find the schedule on their website. Besides the night market, they also organize some daytime activities at parks that focus less on food and more on culture. read more