San Francisco’s Sunset District Night Market begins with food, art and music

Awadallah Awadallah, owner of the pizzeria, is gearing up for a special evening as he prepares to showcase his New York-style pizza at the inaugural Sunset Night Market.

“I have a stall at the night market, so we’re getting ready. We’re doing the display, the lights, everything. We’ll start setting up our stall soon,” Awadallah said.

Awadallah has been serving slices of pizza on Irving Street since 1997. On Friday night, his delicious creations will take center stage at Sunset Night Market, a first-of-its-kind event.

Awadallah added: “We believe that the night market will change people’s atmosphere and thinking. They will feel better when they leave their homes and walk around and celebrate in the streets. We believe that it will change people’s mentality.” .

The night market arrives at a critical time for businesses in the area, which have been experiencing an increase in crime that is driving customers away. Sam Kaleh, who owns a small shop near Awadallah Pizzeria, is familiar with this problem.

“The crime is bad,” Calais lamented. “They smashed my window in the morning. The police called me at five in the morning.”

Both Awadallah and Kaleh enthusiastically support the Night Market, an event organized by Superintendent Joel Engardio.

“This night market is about creating joy and celebrating all the fun things in life – art, music and food. Night markets bring people together and make the streets safer. They give a boost to small businesses – all the things we need in San Francisco now,” Francisco Engardio explained.

The inspiration for Sunset Night Market came from Engardio’s husband, who is from Taipei. During their visit to Taiwan, they were impressed by the vibrant night markets there.

Engardio realized the Sunset District needed its own version.

Al-Mushrif cooperated with local companies to turn this vision into reality.

The result is a lively street party that takes place from 5 to 10 p.m., featuring 70 booths offering a variety of food, games, arts and crafts. Attendees can enjoy three stages of entertainment with music performances throughout the evening and even hit the dance floor with a DJ.

For Awadallah and Kaleh, the event represents an opportunity not only to showcase their offerings but also to generate additional income. In particular, Calais is preparing additional quantities of his famous cake to meet the expected demand.