Tufts is halfway around the world from Taipei, but that hasn't stopped its student body from bringing a little bit of Taiwan to the Hill. This Saturday, the Taiwanese Association of Students at Tufts (TAST) presents Night Market, a Southeast Asian gastronomic and cultural extravaganza in our very own Cousens Gym.
Night markets, or street fairs, are traditional bazaars that take place after dark in many parts of Asia with an infusion of Chinese culture.
"In Asia, especially in Taiwan, on weekend nights college students and young people go out to the alleyways," said senior Irene Chung, co-president of TAST and one of the organizers of Saturday's market. "There will be booths that specialize in foods, games [and] shopping."
Although most informal night markets take place in streets and alleys, some are programmed in specially erected venues or marketplaces in urban areas. Originating during the Tang Dynasty in the ninth century A.D., night markets remain a popular, ever-evolving and modern tradition to this day. These city parties usually boast lots of music, a variety of booths, shops, constant activity and huge crowds. In recent years these markets have gained popularity in North America, too, especially on the West Coast.
Tufts' first Night Market was organized by TAST in 2005. While the first event occurred in Dewick, it has grown in scale and now takes place in Cousens. "Along the walls of Cousens, we have games and tables of food set up," Chung said. "We are expecting around 400 to 450 people."
There was no Night Market last year, so TAST is particularly enthusiastic about the scale and scope of this year's celebration, which combines traditional Taiwanese elements with Western influences.
Performances will abound. "Originally we thought of putting up a stage, but we decided to give it a street feel," Chung said. Acts scheduled to appear include Tufts' own HYPE!, Fusion, Jinah Kim and Phil Dong.
"I'm curious to see how many people and what types of people attend," said senior Jennifer Cho, co-president of TAST. "We put most of our energy into planning this."
TAST's board, including Chung and Cho, split into a number of committees to deal with various aspects of planning a large-scale event like Saturday's market, including refreshments and programming.
Chung and Cho agree that publicity and marketing have been the most challenging aspects of planning Night Market, but both presidents are enthusiastic that members of the Asian community and all of Tufts will enjoy the event.
"I've been to one of these in Asia," Chung said. "But here the vast majority doesn't know what [a night market] is. Our challenge was to explain that to those people who didn't know but advertise in a way in which everyone can participate."
In Taiwan, night markets specialize in a type of food called xiaochi, literally meaning "small eats" or snack portions, of which there will be samples on Saturday. "It will be like a mini-carnival, with more food and no rides," Chung said. "We picked the most common and more popular foods. As the event becomes more popular, we can take more risks."
TAST has certainly reached out to many Jumbos by stepping up the publicity, which was their biggest challenge in organizing the program. "It's our biggest event," Cho said. "We've utilized general venues, emails, Facebook, flyers. We are trying to branch out beyond the Asian community. We are definitely still promoting the culture, however. Many more people now know about it ... We're creating a way in which everyone can participate."
Night Market takes place tomorrow from 8 to 11:30 p.m. in Cousens Gym.
