Hot Days, Hot Nights

Me: Why do people get so excited about the Howard County Fair?

Spouse: Because they love agriculture, and they want to celebrate it.

Me: But why can’t they celebrate it in the Fall? It’s too hot!

Yes, the conversations at my house are chock full of gems like that, especially if the weather climbs beyond eighty degrees. I just can’t cope with the heat, not to mention the accompanying humidity. I am sure there are plenty of fun and interesting things to do at the Howard County Fair. I have gone once or twice and my experience was the same each time.

Me: Ooh! This is going to be fun!

Also me: Get me a snowball. Airlift me to the car. Take me to my air conditioned home.

If you are enjoying the daily activities at the Fair I salute you. Trust me, you do not want me there raining on your parade. 

Despite all this, my curiosity has been piqued by an event coming up at the Howard Fairgrounds on August 20th.

The Asia Collective Night Market makes its Howard County debut at the Faircrounds on August 20th from 2-11 pm. The event turned up in my Instagram feed and I started following them out of curiosity. From their website: 

Our story

We are a small team passionate about fostering communities, celebrating Asian heritage, and promoting local businesses. We are beyond excited to host Asia Collective Night Market and bring you 50+ incredible Asian restaurants in the DMV area!

You must purchase tickets in advance of the event. You will pick a time for entry, but you can stay as long as you wish. I think they are trying to manage crowd flow to ensure a safe and positive experience for everyone. Tickets are ten dollars; childrens under ten are free. They’ve already sold over ten thousand tickets. (You will need to purchase a ticket for your parking place, as well.)

What you’ll find: food vendors, musical performances, activities, and more.

I’ve been meaning to write about this and then Alissa Zhu of the new Baltimore Banner came along and did a much better job than I ever could. You can sign up for a free account which entitles you to one article  per month. This was the one I chose.

New night market in Howard County seeks to provide place to celebrate Asian food and culture, Alissa Zhu, Baltimore Banner

The event’s goal is to celebrate the diversity of Asian food and culture in the area, the organizers said.

Howard County has the second-largest concentration of Asian residents in Maryland. The county’s Asian population grew by about 50% between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Census, with more than 67,000 residents identifying as Asian. The largest segments of Howard County’s Asian population identify as Indian, Korean and Chinese, according to a 2020 county report, with Filipinos, Vietnamese, Japanese and other ethnicities also represented.

Curious? Read the article, visit their website, follow them on Instagram. Maybe you’ll decide to go.

Me? Unless the weather changes drastically, I’ll be here hoping you’ll tell me what it was like.