One of the largest night markets in the country returned to Sacramento on Saturday, featuring street food from chefs of different cultures and local artists showcasing their live painting and dancing skills. 

The event was held at 12th-14th R St. with chefs hosting individual food trucks serving a variety of cultural food items. Offerings included Mediterranean gyros, Filipino lumpia, Mexican hot dogs, Argentinian empanadas, freshly baked cookies, agua frescas and assorted alcoholic beverages.

Attendees could walk through the streets of downtown and shop with vendors selling everything from “Labubus” to handmade jewelry. Some vendors offered art prints, clothing, crafts and perfume. The variety provided many options for shopping and supporting small businesses.

Precieux Lawsha, owner of Chaneque’s Mexican Hotdogs, commented on the connection the night market brought to Sacramento residents. 

“It’s very welcoming to everybody. It’s such a good vibe – the music and the food,” Lawsha said. 

While cooking at her cart, Lawsha commented on the beauty and energy the attendees brought to the night market.

“Everybody is having a good time dancing, exploring and talking. It’s a beautiful event to be a part of.”

“I think the event is great. I like that it has alcohol,” Dawn Celise, an attendee of the event said. “It seems to be safe and respectful.”

Megan Campbell, an attendee of the event, explained that it was her third time coming to the event. 

“It’s a cool way to experience different food trucks in Sacramento all in one place,” she said.

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Compared to other markets, Campbell said that the event had the biggest concentration of new foods to try in one place.

Half Baked Goodness, a dessert business run by Laura Bowen, hosted their own booth at Our Night Market. A first-time vendor at the event, they sold deliciously large and gooey cookies.

“It’s our first year here, and it’s an amazing turnout, and we love it,” Bowen said. “The dancing is so cool, and all the food vendors and different trinkets you can buy, and stuff like that, which is amazing.”

Alongside a variety of food options, Our Street featured dance battles, a silent disco, handmade items, clothing resale and live art creation. 

Jeff McGuire, owner of Ever Good Supply, spoke on his experience demonstrating screen printing to attendees of the night market. 

“I’ve had a lot of people come to the booth, at our booth, we’re focusing on educating the process of how screen printing works,” he said. “I think it’s been well-received. We’re just trying to promote our business.” 

A booth hosted by Night Walkers held dance battles throughout the event. Each dance battle showcased 16 of Sacramento’s best dancers, with the winner earning a $1,000 cash prize. Erwind Randawa, who helped host the dance battle, commented on the inspiration the art scene brings to Sacramento.

“The crowd is in the hundreds. We have the whole R street and a huge block of people here witnessing it, seeing the talent that Sacramento has to offer,” he said. “It’s such an amazing opportunity to do this on R Street for the art district.”  

Alongside dance battles, a vibrant octopus inflatable that housed live DJ sets was featured in the middle of the night market. People gathered to dance or enjoy the music while shopping with vendors.

A group of all women artists were featured in the event and painted live. Jaya King, an artist, spoke about her work and inspiration. She painted a grey bulldog named “Scotland” against a vibrant rainbow background.

“I’ve been doing dog paintings for this market and the all-women’s market. This piece was a surprise for my friend,” she said. 

King said she had been painting professionally for all her life. 

“It’s fun to hang out with friends and paint,” she said. “It’s more of a vibe that way.” 

Sacramento State students attended the event last Saturday. Brianna Lira, a third-year journalism major, talked about her experience.

“There’s way more than I thought there would be. So far, it’s really fun,” Brianna Lira said. 

Athena Oseguera, Lira’s roommate, said she brought up the idea of going to the night market. She said she heard about the event from the dancers involved.

“I am really excited to have good food, do a little shopping and enjoy the dance stuff,” child development major Oseguera said.

Chris Sharpe, a vendor selling vibrant art prints, shared his inspiration and explained how Renegade Compass came into existence. 

“I discovered this style through my own struggles with mental health,” Sharpe said. “At the beginning, I only did black and white art, then they turned to color.” 

Sharpe said the shift in style marked an important point in his journey with mental health, as he found happiness and fulfillment in art. 

Along with vendors selling handmade jewelry or reselling clothes, there were also homemade houseplants sold by Para Las Plantitas, hosted by Darlene Medrano. This was Medrano’s first time selling at Our Street Night Market, where she also sold homemade macrame and pots that she designed and made in Mexico. 

“There’s a lot of people coming through shopping, and even though they are going to eat [or] going to silent disco, they’re still able to pick up a lot of things,” Medrano said.

Our Street Night Market is an annual event hosted in Downtown Sacramento. The event kicks off at 5 p.m., with the nightlife scene starting at 8 p.m. and ending at 11 p.m. 

The next event is projected to take place sometime in September 2026 and cover approximately six to eight blocks between 12th and 14th street.