Columbia’s Night Market 2024: A celebration of culture through food, dance, artistry, and unity
Columbia University’s Chinese Student Association hosted its most anticipated event of the year, inviting an array of primarily Asian clubs and organizations around campus to participate in bringing a piece of their culture to Low’s steps.
Photography by Jeanine Huang/The Barnard Bulletin
By Iya Wakil
November 1, 2024
Hundreds of students gathered together on Friday, October 18th, for a night filled with performances and various cuisines for the annual Night Market hosted by Columbia University’s Chinese Student Club (CSC) on Low Plaza. An array of different Columbia-affiliated clubs and student vendors were present, fundraising and advertising their initiatives, selling food, beverages, and goods, accompanied by performances from dance, acapella, and martial arts groups.
In choosing this year’s theme, “Moonlit Reverie: Jade Garden,” the Chinese Student Club highlighted the qualities of jade– a gemstone important in Chinese culture– that promotes strength, prosperity, and unity. To bring this idea to reality, CSC transformed Low Plaza into a serene, moonlit area with magical fairy lights strung across the large rectangular set-up for the performing stage. Several groups surrounded the makeshift center stage, slowly moving between different club vendors, each selling different types of goods pertaining to the cultures they represented.
I indulged in a few of the delicacies that these clubs brought to campus, enjoying a vibrant, sweet mango lassi sold by Club Zamana and Chinese food from Junzi, one of the main vendors of the night. I also made sure to check out some of the student artists selling their creations, including our own Sydney Siew (BC ‘28), who sold crochet keychains and dolls.
As a first year, Sydney was excited to learn about Night Market and what it meant for her to be able to market her crochet business while celebrating Asian culture: “Wanting to challenge myself and keep up my skills, I thought it could be a great opportunity.” When asked about the experience she had selling her products at Night Market, Sydney enjoyed being able to “create pieces and meet new people throughout the event” and “learn so much in the process.”
An essential part of Columbia’s Night Market was the performances that took center stage for the next half of the night, including dance, acapella, instrumental music, and other mediums of art. The showcases started with a lion dance, a traditional Chinese dance performance that represents good fortune, bringing forth good vibes and luck. Each group demonstrated their talents and wowed the audience with their incredible performances. A full list of the performances represented can be found here.
Notable performances include Columbia Taal, which represents Indian heritage gracefully and regally with its fusion of different classical dance forms. Afterward, CU Raas and Bhangra’s electric performances brought enthusiasm to the plaza and truly communicated the pride that the performers have for their culture to the audience. Malama Hawai’i delivered a bit of sun to the cold fall night with their graceful performance, showcasing the beauty of the essence of Hawaiian culture. I was enthralled by CU Generation’s and Raw Elementz’s skills and technicalities with their dance, bringing boss energy to the stage. CU Tae Kwon Do and Wushu blew the audience away with their martial arts abilities.
As an Asian American myself, I absolutely loved seeing the pride that other Asian Americans had in collectively celebrating our different heritages. The Night Market fosters a sense of belonging in a place far from our motherlands while sharing the beauty of our cultures together.