SEATTLE — A beloved Seattle event is saved after Amazon announced it will donate $250,000 to keep the popular Chinatown International District "Night Market" alive.
Last year was the first time in nearly 20 years Seattle's Chinatown International District did not have the Night Market. But that's all changing after Amazon's donation that will keep the event running through at least 2026.
"This is where we see ourselves, where we eat our favorite foods, where we mingle with our community,” said Monisha Singh, the Executive Director of the Chinatown International District Business Improvement Area. “So, it's a very special place."
Now this neighborhood is bringing back a special event, the "Night Market."
"It's an economic driver for our small businesses,” Singh said. “It's a marketing opportunity for our businesses to highlight their particular business, it's an opportunity to showcase the neighborhood as a whole."
The "C.I.D. Business Improvement Area," is the non-profit organization that runs the annual one-night event every September. It attracts around 40,000 visitors and features at least 80 vendors, and live music as people explore more than 400 businesses in the neighborhood.
However, that was all missing last year. When the event was canceled for the first time since its inception in 2006.
“Unfortunately, it came down to costs, the cost of production, and staffing and lack of sponsorships that we were getting," Singh said.
Now, a local economic juggernaut is backing the event.
"We just wanted to step up and do the right thing," said Taylor Hoang, the Senior Manager Community Engagement with Amazon. "Create a space where cultural diversity is embraced, and we will be there right along all of our community partners to ensure that happens."
A gesture the community appreciates. Including new City Councilmember Tanya Woo who issued a statement saying in part:
“Coming from a family of CID small business owners, I know how important the Chinatown-International District Night Market is to our community," Woo said. “It’s been a fixture of the neighborhood for nearly twenty years and has helped so many small businesses grow. That’s why I am so excited by this support to ensure it continues. My hope is that this funding will allow for the night market to endure for generations to come."
There’s no date set for this year’s Night Market but organizers said it’s slated for some time in September. They welcome people to join them during the C.I.D’s Lunar New Year Celebration which will feature vendors, dance and music performances on Feb. 24.