626 Night Market – OC
Orange County's top summer event for foodies is a must-attend every year
Generally held three times each year at the OC Fairgrounds, the Orange County version of the popular 626 Night Market – formerly called the OC Night Market – offers attendees the opportunity to sample delicacies ranging from authentic Asian street foods to trendy Instagram snacks and drinks. Dozens of vendors are featured at each event, typically with plenty of Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean, and American culinary representation, as well as sprinklings of Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Hawaiian, and other cuisines. As of 2025, the number of grilled meat and grilled or fried seafood vendors has increased significantly, through their marinade and spicing recipes represent several different cultures; Tastetastic Jamaican’s jerk pork and chicken are particular standouts on both flavor and value.
Some of the vendors are market-exclusive or representative of small restaurants, focusing on a handful of particularly compelling or at least eye-catching items. While repeat visitors may get bored with endless offerings of giant squid, “wagyu” burgers, and juice-filled baby bottles, the Night Market has also brought interesting items into the local food mainstream over the years, including Korean cream cheese buns, fresh sea urchin in the shell, and butterfly pea mango sticky rice, to name just a few. The biggest “trending” flavor of the 2025 event was Dubai chocolate (with kataifi and pistachio cream), here offered in premium-priced funnel cakes, taiyaki, strawberry cups at quite a few stands.
Like county fairs, the Night Market also attracts novelty stands, in the past introducing Filipino deep-fried watermelon balls that weren’t worth ordering for any price, let alone $6 for two; they tend to show up for a year, then get replaced. Similarly, there are knockoff stands like Rated R Ramen Burger, which (unsuccessfully) cloned Ramen Shack’s famous ramen burger, as well as miniature versions of several well-established Orange County brick-and-mortar restaurants (in 2025, including Shin-Sen-Gumi, Gen KBBQ, and Black Pearl). But historically, there are generally more hits than misses among the vendors.
Admission and parking charges tend to be reasonable, offsetting individual food item prices that are frequently crazy high; thankfully, everything is purchased directly from vendors rather than using tickets. Once you’re through the front gate, make sure to stop and check out the local artisans, who tend to offer an excellent collection of paintings, prints, clothing, and jewelry. Live music performances are also offered on a stage near the back of the market.