RICHMOND, B.C.—The founder of the original Richmond Night Market has high hopes to bring back an international sensation for the spring of 2012.
Raymond Cheung, president of Target Event Production, last Friday submitted an application to the City of Richmond for permission to open a re-envisioned market next May in a brand new location in Richmond, one that promises to combine the best of all worlds for festival-goers in breathtaking, waterfront surroundings.
Once it is approved by Richmond council and city staff, Raymond Cheung said the 2012 Richmond Night Market will open on an expansive 18-acre site at the north end of No. 3 Road at River Road—a property known as Duck Island—immediately west of the world-class River Rock Casino Resort.
"With council's blessing, this year's market will be bigger and more spectacular than ever," Raymond Cheung said, adding that the market will be Richmond's biggest draw, bringing in hundreds of thousands of people from not just the Lower Mainland, but from all over the world. This stunning new location is just 200 metres away from the Bridgeport Station of the Canada Line, making it by far the most accessible site in the market's proud history.
Raymond Cheung dubbed this year's market the "Return of the Dragon", auspiciously named as 2012 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac calendar. As the Dragon restarts the Chinese zodiac cycle as the first and most powerful of its 12 symbols, the 2012 market will mark a new beginning of sorts as Raymond Cheung promises to breathe fire and new life into a wholly-revamped market.
The new property is more than twice the size of the previous location, which translates into more space for the things people have come to love the market for: great food, amazing deals, electric atmosphere, and fun for the entire family.
After a four-year hiatus, Raymond Cheung said he's eager to build upon what he started more than a decade ago. With 250 booths offering cool merchandise, 80 vendors serving mouth-watering food and desserts—with a different specially-featured-and-priced vendor each night—a diversity of family-friendly entertainment, and more than a thousand nearby parking stalls, the 2012 market will deliver what no previous market ever has. This year's market will also feature carnival rides and a children's amusement zone, adding thrills and chills to the nightly experience.
The new location is much more convenient, as it's closer to the heart of the city, and offers easy access by foot, car, bus or Canada Line train. Sitting beside the new terminus for express buses from Delta and White Rock, the new site promises to draw people from a wider area than ever before, as it's less than a 20-minute ride to Downtown Vancouver, and a short five-minute hop to the Vancouver International Airport.
For more information, or to arrange interviews, contact Raymond Cheung at Target Event at 604 244-8448, visit richmondnightmarket.com, follow us on Twitter at @Rmdnightmarket or check out our Facebook page.
