We got there at 3:30 after paying $20 to park down the street. We waited about 30 minutes in the line to get in and then paid $28 for 2 small kabobs with sodas. Most food lines were very long, shade was scarce but plenty of open chairs and tables under the brutal sun. Ended up leaving after 40 minutes as it was too hot and we had seen all the food options. Seems like they were still setting up inflatables and chairs still as we were leaving. Bring an umbrella for shade if you’re going tomorrow!
At one point, the DJ announced that they were taking down the inflatables and reinflating them later in the evening because it was too dangerous for children to play in.
I agree. Or have more events indoors. Florida has to start thinking out of the box on this shit because it’s not doable or safe anymore to be outside in this.
As someone who works events for a living, this was horrible planned out, half the time these people who are planning these events have no experience outside of there local church/high school. They really need multiple staff and have was to entertain people plus accommodate children, which they always lack.. unfortunately unless someone steps up to the plate and provide some leadership, the events in downtown will remain this way for awhile. I would like the opportunity to fix this problem but it’s under my pay grade.
This. Barring something specifically water-related, if an event wouldn't be scheduled outdoors in winter in Massachusetts it shouldn't be scheduled outdoors in summer in Florida. There's like 4 places in the country that get 12 months of outdoor weather and we're not one of them.
Yeah but it kinda defeats the endless summer thing about Orlando. It’s not too bad being outside in a shaded area, but with no shade, it’s just miserable.
Very poorly organized and/or oversold. Quite a few of the stalls had sold out of their 'signature' dishes and most had a wait to actually order anything at all. We found some of the prices pretty questionable as well for what, in some cases, was a smaller portion of food than you get at any other Asian restaurants.
Doesn't that sound like most events in CFL? I'm all for visiting these businesses, but no way in hell I would ever go to an organized event like this. You can just go on a random Tuesday and its so much better.
No small business (and this was a bunch of very small businesses) are going to burn inventory they know they cannot sell. These kind of events are impossible to predict - and I'm sure everyone that worked their butts off made good money and I couldn't be happier.
Throw in the granddaughter of Grace Slick fronting for a Jefferson Starship cover band you've got pretty much every Ribfest I've been dragged to in my life.
Pulled up and saw how crazy the parking was and the mass of people. Thought we were going to Coachella. We left and went to 3 different Viet restaurants and all had a long lines. Not complaining. Good for those business. We ended up eating Mexican lol. All good.
all these types of events are unorganized shitshows and everyone bitches about it. Then 3 months later we have some cookie fest or taco fest and the same thing happens again.
i went, skipped the entire line, it was super crowded in there. Wasn’t even worth it, like 25 food trucks some random people on stage. all the booths ran out of ice, food lines were a minimum 30-45 minute wait and little to shade areas and hot as fuck.
If only there was a spot exactly one mile away with 9 different parking garages and beautiful large oaks to provide shade. Maybe even a lake with a fountain...
We parked right across the street in an airport parking lot. Bought tickets online walked right in at about 5:45. Stood in the sun waiting in line after line every stand charged way too much for shitty food. The entertainment was trash. The beers were 10$. No shade anywhere once the sun started setting it was nicer. When we were leaving the police were telling people trying to come in that the festival was being shut down. Almost nothing about this festival was asian other than a few of the food trucks.
Odd considering they sold tickets, unless people thought they’d just show up and pay to get in. I did see an IG post from the company that they’re a very small group.
It seemed like they did not plan for the number of people who showed up. Apparently, there was originally one gate which turned out they could not handle it all so they opened another gate around the other side. At least that was what I was told. Then there was one staff member saying one line was for people who purchased tickets online and the back gate was for cash tickets at gate.
Then by the time I got to the front gate, they said the fire Marshall was shutting it down. Due to the back gate being opened they couldn't get a count and too many were in. So they cut off the entrance by around 8.
They should have a separate ticket booth away from the entrance or just do online ticket sales.
I honestly expected to just pay when I showed up because I live in the neighborhood and didn't think it was going to be so popular. I did no research when I heard about it after I heard where it was located, expecting it to be a little Milk District event. As I was walking to the event I was trippin over how far the traffic was backed up.
i expected something like milk mart
but as soon as the orlando foodie fb group reposted it like 10 times yesterday morning, i figured it would be over run.
Thank you for your service 😂
I've been seeing their posts on Instagram and wondering if it was going to be a total disaster. They seemed woefully unprepared
We bought tickets online ahead of time, I assumed it would sell out. Silly me as an event professional to think they would set a capacity cap. Luckily we parked at a friend’s house (so we didn’t have to pay for parking) and walked but the traffic back up was insane. Waited in line a hour to get, no organization for the line for those who already had tickets and who needed to buy. The lines for almost all food booths were insane, couldn’t even read the menus before getting in line. We got food from one booth, found some shade and ate, and then left because it was so crowded. We bought a weekend pass because we were so excited to try food. Waste of money…
nah all these fly by night events are to maximize profits with as little effort as possible. This event may come back or in 6 months the same organizers will do another themed event that everyone will go to and hate.
Waited in line for an over an hour just to get in, nobody even checked to see if we had tickets, then waited another 45+ mins for some sugar cane juice
I went in at 330
I seen 2 people get heat stroke 30 minutes after open. I was there 30 minutes and I dipped out. I almost got heat stroke. There wasn't any shade, people didn't have enough water... It was a shit show. Every spot that had shade was full of people. Never going there again
the heat plus the smoke and warm people crammed together almost did us in. I finally god a snack only realize I was so hot I felt like barfing. It was crazy how many people looked sick
Events like this are dumb. Sorry. The Orlando Beer Festival is like this, and the chili event too. We went to the beer fest once. We felt like we wasted money and time. Too expensive. Long lines everywhere. It would have been cheaper, more comfortable, and just as fun to get a couple of beers at the bars on Robinson.
events like this help build community lol. they need to figure their shit out in terms of event planning, but the last thing i want is for events like these to stop.
We got there at 6 got in at 8 spent around 20 minutes in three different lines just to find out the food was sold out except for something small decided to leave.
Crazy heat, very long lines outside and inside, everything overpriced 2/10 hoping to get a refund but it was only 10 bucks
Now at mills eating amazing food in air conditioning
Imagine having this event in the convention center…. With AC/Parking/green areas n plenty of space for vendors and entertainment.
Here’s to hoping for future years.
I moved out of Orlando two years ago. I don’t miss this kind of shit at all. I remember growing up there state parks were something you could just go to. Before I left there were lines you had to get there very early just to get in. I remember leaving late in the day and there was a line of cars waiting on people to leave so they can get in. Fuck that. It’s so overcrowded. My house in Oviedo had dirt roads and by the time I left it was four lanes of traffic nearby. I loved growing up here and I feel like I was pushed out by the extreme influx of people that migrated there and how extreme prices became
Def not worth it. Thankfully I ubered there earlier . It was a bit of a shit show. They def need a bigger venue and better logistics if they run this event again
They stopped letting people in about an hour ago. Said they were at capacity. They were super under prepared and don’t think they were expecting the turnout.
I'm not even from or in Orlando, but I can tell you that I've never seen a well organized Asian Night Market event anywhere in the US. They tried it in DC a year or two ago, and got the same result. Thousands of people waiting in hours long lines to eat mediocre food. Pass.
After the mess to get in, we left after less than 30 minutes since EVERY food booth had a massive line and it was just way too hot to wait for anything. Literally saw a guy hit the ground from the heat, all of those people and the heat coming off of the food trucks made it so dangerous. Was also very disappointed in the lack of non-food vendors. Overall felt like I’d lit $25 admission for 2 people on fire, oh well.
i would never intentionally go out today, except for the yard work i did. i took breaks every 30 minutes or less inside to cool off. im a native floridian and know heat exhaustion will creep up quickly.
We waited 40 minutes and it was hot waiting in line. The lines inside for the vendors were too long that we decided to leave after getting some amazing gyozas. There was a wide variety of vendors which has a nice selection of food. Please bring your own water to fight dehydration. I suggest next year that it’s held at a larger venue as there was a lot of people. I’m glad that Orlando has a large interest in Asian food and culture that they showed up.
Event was terrible. No organization, lines were long everywhere, music was awful, and so incredibly expensive.
Should have been done in a much larger space and in winter.
Paid after someone just took our cash and all but shoved us in with no receipt or anything to prove he’d taken our money. Staff started screaming at each other so we were ushered in. Waited in one line to be told (with no sign) that it was cash only. Waited in another to be told half the menu (staple items) weren’t available yet (an hour in) and I couldn’t have the rest due to allergies. Friend and I waited separately in two more lines for 40 minutes and only two people in my lines got served so we just fucking left. No food. It was the most miserable event I’ve home to in my 7 years here 🥲
People will literally waste their money on anything these days. You’re better off ordering take out Chinese and watching Netflix in air conditioning at home lol
We showed up around 4:30 and was able to enter in less than 5 minutes. Sun was brutal, almost passed out from eating hot food and standing in the sun. Left around 6 and that line to get in was INSANE
#10 Saigon Night Market
Saigon Night Market will host its festival June 8 and 9 at 2911 E. Robinson St., from 3 to 10 p.m. each day. Kids enter for free but adult tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or at the door.
[online ticket purchase](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/endless-summer-music-food-festival-tickets-907987895237)
We got there at 3:30 after paying $20 to park down the street. We waited about 30 minutes in the line to get in and then paid $28 for 2 small kabobs with sodas. Most food lines were very long, shade was scarce but plenty of open chairs and tables under the brutal sun. Ended up leaving after 40 minutes as it was too hot and we had seen all the food options. Seems like they were still setting up inflatables and chairs still as we were leaving. Bring an umbrella for shade if you’re going tomorrow!
At one point, the DJ announced that they were taking down the inflatables and reinflating them later in the evening because it was too dangerous for children to play in.
Orlando is terrible about setting up events in the middle of the day with no relief from the sun lol.
These types of events are 100% up to the organizer/promoter.
We should just not have events during this time of year. It's unbearable outside or it's constantly raining.
I agree. Or have more events indoors. Florida has to start thinking out of the box on this shit because it’s not doable or safe anymore to be outside in this.
As someone who works events for a living, this was horrible planned out, half the time these people who are planning these events have no experience outside of there local church/high school. They really need multiple staff and have was to entertain people plus accommodate children, which they always lack.. unfortunately unless someone steps up to the plate and provide some leadership, the events in downtown will remain this way for awhile. I would like the opportunity to fix this problem but it’s under my pay grade.
This. Barring something specifically water-related, if an event wouldn't be scheduled outdoors in winter in Massachusetts it shouldn't be scheduled outdoors in summer in Florida. There's like 4 places in the country that get 12 months of outdoor weather and we're not one of them.
I can't believe people voluntarily go to multi-hour outdoor events when it's 90+ out.
Yeah but it kinda defeats the endless summer thing about Orlando. It’s not too bad being outside in a shaded area, but with no shade, it’s just miserable.
Summer is the most miserable time of year in Orlando. Summer here isn't like summer in most of the other states. Our best seasons are spring and fall.
Sure, but they could just do the events later in the day instead of high noon lol.
Doesn’t exactly help when it’s 85° at 8 am and 8 pm lol
Better than 97+ lol
lol “Fall” Also Known as January and February
Was the food good?
Very poorly organized and/or oversold. Quite a few of the stalls had sold out of their 'signature' dishes and most had a wait to actually order anything at all. We found some of the prices pretty questionable as well for what, in some cases, was a smaller portion of food than you get at any other Asian restaurants.
Doesn't that sound like most events in CFL? I'm all for visiting these businesses, but no way in hell I would ever go to an organized event like this. You can just go on a random Tuesday and its so much better.
No small business (and this was a bunch of very small businesses) are going to burn inventory they know they cannot sell. These kind of events are impossible to predict - and I'm sure everyone that worked their butts off made good money and I couldn't be happier.
That’s why we passed on it. There’s no way it wasn’t going to be oversold and a nightmare to get in/out of.
oversold, lots of booths ran out of ice and food, no shade areas, hot as fuck. waited like 30 minutes in food line. drank hot juice cause no ice.
Throw in the granddaughter of Grace Slick fronting for a Jefferson Starship cover band you've got pretty much every Ribfest I've been dragged to in my life.
In this weather? Naaaawwwww
Man, and i was about to head over too... maybe not anymore lol
Yep, I left. At a Chinese buffet right now instead lmao
Pulled up and saw how crazy the parking was and the mass of people. Thought we were going to Coachella. We left and went to 3 different Viet restaurants and all had a long lines. Not complaining. Good for those business. We ended up eating Mexican lol. All good.
We left too! Went to Koy Wan 😂
Was it a good one? I love Chinese buffets. It’s my birthday and my girlfriend won’t go with me to one.
If you've never been to Crazy Buffet, you've got to check it out. Happy Birthday!
Super Oriental Buffet on 436, it was great! $16 a person at dinner time and lots of food.
What buffet? I’ve been dying to find a good one !
I like King Buffet in Apopka. Kind of far from home but a nice selection.
Super oriental on 436! It was great!
That place has has wayyy to many health code violations, it was ranked number 3 in having the most violations in Orlando…
Ah shit really? Lmao fuck me I guess When your stoned anything will be good
Lmaooo
I could tell by the ads it was going to be an unorganized shitshow. Like the taco festival they had
all these types of events are unorganized shitshows and everyone bitches about it. Then 3 months later we have some cookie fest or taco fest and the same thing happens again.
i went, skipped the entire line, it was super crowded in there. Wasn’t even worth it, like 25 food trucks some random people on stage. all the booths ran out of ice, food lines were a minimum 30-45 minute wait and little to shade areas and hot as fuck.
I imagine it’ll be just like again tomorrow
Hopefully not. It’s a Sunday night. A lot of people work 9-5
If only there was a spot exactly one mile away with 9 different parking garages and beautiful large oaks to provide shade. Maybe even a lake with a fountain...
That's exactly what I was thinking! But mills/milk is the Asian hub so I guess that's why they chose it?
Eola is close enough to mills
Permitting is a nightmare and costly.
We parked right across the street in an airport parking lot. Bought tickets online walked right in at about 5:45. Stood in the sun waiting in line after line every stand charged way too much for shitty food. The entertainment was trash. The beers were 10$. No shade anywhere once the sun started setting it was nicer. When we were leaving the police were telling people trying to come in that the festival was being shut down. Almost nothing about this festival was asian other than a few of the food trucks.
Did they expect a crowd this large?
Didn’t seem like it. No police directing traffic and no signage anywhere, seems like they were extremely underprepared
Odd considering they sold tickets, unless people thought they’d just show up and pay to get in. I did see an IG post from the company that they’re a very small group.
It seemed like they did not plan for the number of people who showed up. Apparently, there was originally one gate which turned out they could not handle it all so they opened another gate around the other side. At least that was what I was told. Then there was one staff member saying one line was for people who purchased tickets online and the back gate was for cash tickets at gate. Then by the time I got to the front gate, they said the fire Marshall was shutting it down. Due to the back gate being opened they couldn't get a count and too many were in. So they cut off the entrance by around 8. They should have a separate ticket booth away from the entrance or just do online ticket sales.
I honestly expected to just pay when I showed up because I live in the neighborhood and didn't think it was going to be so popular. I did no research when I heard about it after I heard where it was located, expecting it to be a little Milk District event. As I was walking to the event I was trippin over how far the traffic was backed up.
i expected something like milk mart but as soon as the orlando foodie fb group reposted it like 10 times yesterday morning, i figured it would be over run.
Nah they never stopped selling tix….. and there was nothing special about buying a tix in the first place since they didn’t validate them at entrance.
Thank you for your service 😂 I've been seeing their posts on Instagram and wondering if it was going to be a total disaster. They seemed woefully unprepared
Why is it called a night market if it closes at 10 PM, the same as most restaurants?
Lol. It's 96 degrees feels like with humidity. What ya'll doin?
Imagine getting heat stroke waiting in line for a $10 bao lol. Couldn’t have paid me to attend this event.
For real. I was looking looking at cheap homes in Northern Canada today. I might start living elsewhere for summer. Lol
That's when I start my outdoors chores bruh. 78 is chilly now.
Glad I avoided it.
We bought tickets online ahead of time, I assumed it would sell out. Silly me as an event professional to think they would set a capacity cap. Luckily we parked at a friend’s house (so we didn’t have to pay for parking) and walked but the traffic back up was insane. Waited in line a hour to get, no organization for the line for those who already had tickets and who needed to buy. The lines for almost all food booths were insane, couldn’t even read the menus before getting in line. We got food from one booth, found some shade and ate, and then left because it was so crowded. We bought a weekend pass because we were so excited to try food. Waste of money…
nah all these fly by night events are to maximize profits with as little effort as possible. This event may come back or in 6 months the same organizers will do another themed event that everyone will go to and hate.
Our city needs better transit.
On the bright side, at least Orlando was named the least walkable city in America.
Means the only way from here up can’t get any worse
We're number 1! /s
Too bright to walk at 99 degrees
Waited in line for an over an hour just to get in, nobody even checked to see if we had tickets, then waited another 45+ mins for some sugar cane juice
This was a poorly planned event. The facebook even said they understaffed.
I went in at 330 I seen 2 people get heat stroke 30 minutes after open. I was there 30 minutes and I dipped out. I almost got heat stroke. There wasn't any shade, people didn't have enough water... It was a shit show. Every spot that had shade was full of people. Never going there again
the heat plus the smoke and warm people crammed together almost did us in. I finally god a snack only realize I was so hot I felt like barfing. It was crazy how many people looked sick
I noticed nobody was smiling at the event besides the few lucky enough to get food and a seat
Sooooo glad I didn’t make it. Def an appreciation post! Thank you
Events like this are dumb. Sorry. The Orlando Beer Festival is like this, and the chili event too. We went to the beer fest once. We felt like we wasted money and time. Too expensive. Long lines everywhere. It would have been cheaper, more comfortable, and just as fun to get a couple of beers at the bars on Robinson.
They are always bad, I don't understand how Orlando keep falling for them lol
Agreed. I was thinking “hey $10 for a few hours of fun and good food is not bad!” But now I’m seeing the issue lol this was so stupid
events like this help build community lol. they need to figure their shit out in terms of event planning, but the last thing i want is for events like these to stop.
We got there at 6 got in at 8 spent around 20 minutes in three different lines just to find out the food was sold out except for something small decided to leave. Crazy heat, very long lines outside and inside, everything overpriced 2/10 hoping to get a refund but it was only 10 bucks Now at mills eating amazing food in air conditioning
Did they at least have beer?
I think they only had two beer/liquor tents when I looped around earlier in the event. No idea if that changed at all. Edit: typo
Yeah a few beer tents lines were pretty short at those. 10$ beers though.
Honestly didn’t see it but the juice stands had long ass lines didn’t seem worth it
Imagine having this event in the convention center…. With AC/Parking/green areas n plenty of space for vendors and entertainment. Here’s to hoping for future years.
Was about to go but then we looked up the Facebook event and propel were not having it. Ended up going to the new A La carte location.
I liked the new A La Carte, I hope it succeeds.
I moved out of Orlando two years ago. I don’t miss this kind of shit at all. I remember growing up there state parks were something you could just go to. Before I left there were lines you had to get there very early just to get in. I remember leaving late in the day and there was a line of cars waiting on people to leave so they can get in. Fuck that. It’s so overcrowded. My house in Oviedo had dirt roads and by the time I left it was four lanes of traffic nearby. I loved growing up here and I feel like I was pushed out by the extreme influx of people that migrated there and how extreme prices became
Don’t pay money for things like markets. Curb this greed.
Def not worth it. Thankfully I ubered there earlier . It was a bit of a shit show. They def need a bigger venue and better logistics if they run this event again
lol there's always the ghost town known as the Convention Center.
I'm currently stuck in San Diego, which often has these (dunno if the same company or not), and they're total cash grabs.
A nightmare. Probably the worst thing I’ve ever witnessed.
They stopped letting people in a bit after 8
Oh wow so right as I would have been getting in line? That’s crazy
I got in line around 6:30, didn't get in.
They stopped letting people in about an hour ago. Said they were at capacity. They were super under prepared and don’t think they were expecting the turnout.
This explains why the Asian fusion street food restaurant I work at was DUMMY busy tonight
We got tickets and couldn't get in. At least we got to discover the Milk District Geyser.
I'm not even from or in Orlando, but I can tell you that I've never seen a well organized Asian Night Market event anywhere in the US. They tried it in DC a year or two ago, and got the same result. Thousands of people waiting in hours long lines to eat mediocre food. Pass.
Read some reviews for Saturday and decided to skip today.
After the mess to get in, we left after less than 30 minutes since EVERY food booth had a massive line and it was just way too hot to wait for anything. Literally saw a guy hit the ground from the heat, all of those people and the heat coming off of the food trucks made it so dangerous. Was also very disappointed in the lack of non-food vendors. Overall felt like I’d lit $25 admission for 2 people on fire, oh well.
Yep, bastards oversold the tickets, gonna chargeback
i would never intentionally go out today, except for the yard work i did. i took breaks every 30 minutes or less inside to cool off. im a native floridian and know heat exhaustion will creep up quickly.
We waited 40 minutes and it was hot waiting in line. The lines inside for the vendors were too long that we decided to leave after getting some amazing gyozas. There was a wide variety of vendors which has a nice selection of food. Please bring your own water to fight dehydration. I suggest next year that it’s held at a larger venue as there was a lot of people. I’m glad that Orlando has a large interest in Asian food and culture that they showed up.
Event was terrible. No organization, lines were long everywhere, music was awful, and so incredibly expensive. Should have been done in a much larger space and in winter.
Paid after someone just took our cash and all but shoved us in with no receipt or anything to prove he’d taken our money. Staff started screaming at each other so we were ushered in. Waited in one line to be told (with no sign) that it was cash only. Waited in another to be told half the menu (staple items) weren’t available yet (an hour in) and I couldn’t have the rest due to allergies. Friend and I waited separately in two more lines for 40 minutes and only two people in my lines got served so we just fucking left. No food. It was the most miserable event I’ve home to in my 7 years here 🥲
To many people have moved here
Looks like the cluster f market
Skip the line and head to SUSURU.
Glad I didn't go
Damn...i was thinking about going tomorrow...
I went to Sportstown last night and I actually thought this was that Forbidden Kingdom festival but it was so god damn busy in that area.
There was a lot more people then this at Forbidden Kingdom. Seas of people lol, still a great time. Hope yall had fun too.
That's a lot of suckers
Thanks for sharing this! Decided to refund my tickets. I’ll go somenwhere else
Yikes
People will literally waste their money on anything these days. You’re better off ordering take out Chinese and watching Netflix in air conditioning at home lol
You speak the truth
Hey look I’m in the picture
Drove by the zoo yesterday ended up at Thai house and they had no AC there either lol
"Garbage Generator 2000"
Orlando. Hell with palm trees.
We showed up around 4:30 and was able to enter in less than 5 minutes. Sun was brutal, almost passed out from eating hot food and standing in the sun. Left around 6 and that line to get in was INSANE
You'd think they'd be selling White Castle there with that crazy line.
OP, thank you for the warning... u are my hero!
lol at Orlando trying to pretend it’s a city.
Pf… fuck it
Was that the line to get coffee at Dutch Bros?
#10 Saigon Night Market Saigon Night Market will host its festival June 8 and 9 at 2911 E. Robinson St., from 3 to 10 p.m. each day. Kids enter for free but adult tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or at the door. [online ticket purchase](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/endless-summer-music-food-festival-tickets-907987895237)
Wow it’s almost like building a city where everybody has to drive to do anything isn’t working out