Night market pairs with new show for a taste of Vietnam
Food, entertainment and more are part of marketing event
HBO and 626 Night Market are teaming in Santa Monica to bring people a little taste of Vietnam to mark the premiere of the new series “The Sympathizer.”
The series premieres Sunday on Max and is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. It’s an espionage thriller about a halfFrench, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles.
The 626 Night Market, which is named after the San Gabriel Valley area code and is modeled after night markets in Asia, will aim to take people back to Vietnam with a handful of food vendors such as All Dat Dumpling, All Dat Noodle, Café 949, Ridges Churro Bar and The Ugly Bao serving their grub Saturday and Sunday.
“We hope people will come through the weekend of our show premiere and celebrate Vietnamese and AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) stories and food and culture,” said JR
HBO and 626Night Market are teaming in Santa Monica on Saturday and Sunday with Vietnamese food, DJs and more to promote “The Sympathizer,” a TV series set in Vietnam and the U.S.
Tungol, a marketing official for the series.
The weekend will include Vietnamese American DJs Demonslayer and Annalog spinning tunes both days and a performance by Vietnamese American artist Dolly Ave from 7-10 p.m. Saturday. There will also be “The Sympathizer” photo booths portraying the streets of Vietnam and the world of the series.
“The purpose really with this is to get Vietnamese people, AAPI audiences really excited about seeing themselves on the screen and seeing themselves reflected in our show,” Tungol said.
The 626 Night Market is at 1324 Fifth St., Santa Monica. It’s free and open from 1-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free tickets can be reserved at 626nightmarket. com