Night Market Celebrates Vietnamese Culture, Attracts Thousands to Dorchester

The fourth annual Night Market and Cho Đêm organized by the Boston Little Saigon cultural district drew an estimated 16,000 people to Fields Corner and the neighborhood itself on Saturday, July 12, for a celebration of entertainment, food, and Vietnamese American culture.

With Dorchester Avenue closed to vehicle traffic from Adams Street to Gibson Street, the lively street fair allowed Town Field to serve as the entertainment hub for the Dorchester community.

Attendees indulged their culinary taste buds on meat skewers, corn on the cob, Boba and sugar cane drinks, banh mi sandwiches, and egg rolls of all varieties. Local merchants such as Ba Le, Coca Leaf, Thai Oishi, and others served food and drinks throughout the festival.

Entertainment on the Town Field stage included traditional Vietnamese dance, folk singers, K-Pop dancers, break-dancers, hip-hop, and lion dancers. Trans dance performer Candace Persuasion, also known as Dorchester's Candace Nguyen, appeared for an audience performance. Nguyen received national attention from Beyonce in addition to her own dance act and advocacy for trans issues.

The event concluded with a food-eating competition sponsored by Pho Hoa Restaurant. This year, participants chowed down on chicken wings, despite the competition featuring a twist. Participants couldn't use their hands and had to pick the wings to the bone using chopsticks. Teammates from the Banh Mi Blasters succeeded and won the chicken wing-picking competition.

“The 2025 Cho Đêm Boston Little Saigon Night Market brought more people than last year,” said Annie Le, executive director of Boston Little Saigon, in a statement shared with The Dorchester Reporter. “It is a true celebration of culture and community. The community is supportive as always to allow us to use space and resources to make the event possible. This year, the Labubu scavenger hunt brought out so many young people, adding playful energy to an already vibrant night of food, music, and connection.”