The second annual 423 Night Market is scheduled to take place on Oct. 5, during the fall semester rather than winter semester like last year. The changes come due to the packed school event calendar for the months of March and April.
423 Night Market, an event initiated by former Student Association (SA) president Rhidge Garcia so students can showcase their talents and sell products or services. Due to its success, current SA president Mark Galvez decided to do it again. However, the date had to be moved to earlier in the year.
“March and April are the months of the biggest events on campus,” Galvez said. “So, there was no space for a new event because I won in late, late February. So, by then the calendar was already full.”
“So, either 423 Night Market started on the fifth [of October] or it didn’t happen at all this year,” he said.
Some of the events scheduled for March and April include Asian Night, the Gym Masters home show and SonRise,one of which are hosted by SA.
Moving the event to the fall semester has made it difficult to find participants to sign up. Last 423 Night Market had 58 booths. This year, as of Sept. 17, only 40 booths have registered.
“The early date for this event was honestly a bit stressful at first,” Darcie Denton, fine arts junior who will be selling painted shirts and records, said. “I would probably have preferred to be informed of the date a bit earlier.”
Despite the challenge, one of Galvez’s goals is to get more students, faculty and staff involved.
“I’ve been emailing every vendor from last year up, urging them to sign up, urging most people that come by [the SA office] to sign up,” Galvez said.
Students and campus personnel who sign up are given $50 each to buy the materials, ingredients and decorations needed for their booths. Galvez is also working to market the event so that Collegedale community members are aware of it.
“I think this event is important for students because it gets them on the map, and it helps them make some extra cash,” psychology junior Chloe Bastajian said. Bastajian will be selling homemade body and face scrubs.
Some of the products and services that will be available at the 423 Night Market include international food, drinks, painted shirts, eyebrow threading, stickers and clothing.
“423 Night Market is the essence of why the Student Association exists: to give a platform to our students,” Galvez said.
The deadline to sign up is Sept. 24. To find out more visit @sa_southern on Instagram or stop by the SA office.
