PMQ Night Market A Success
The PMQ Night Market, launched last weekend, was well-received by attendees and vendors. The weekend goodness will be reconvening for at least the next six weeks.
Roughly 8,000 people attended the Night Market this weekend at PMQ Central, a new venue and studio space for designers located in the revitalized Former Police Married Quarters, says the Hong Kong Markets Organization.
Katty Law, convener of the Central and Western Concern Group, agrees that organizing outdoor markets is a good move, although she recommends introducing more variety, such as a second-hand goods or crafts market. "It's good that the PMQ can be put to vibrant use, as long as they take the care to manage the noise level so as not to disturb the neighbors," she says.
"My concern group members spent a lot of time eight years ago to push the government to conserve the PMQ site," She adds, "so we are happy that the site and the buildings are finally put to public use."
Wolfgang Bern, owner of restaurant Flying Brats, says the event worked to bring people together. "Hong Kong has been longing for something like this. It was a fun night of people chilling and hanging out," he says.
Marielle Byworth, founder of Hong Kong based jewelry store Marijoli, has a studio-cum-shop on the fourth floor of PMQ. "The night market is a pleasant surprise as it's like a little flower in SoHo, giving new vibes to Central," She says. "It definitely helped drive people to our shop—we saw a big difference in traffic compared to weekdays." The PMQ Night Market will be held every Friday to Sunday for the coming six weeks.
What happens after six weeks? Sarah Mansell, Marketing Manager from the Hong Kong Markets Organization, says they're not sure yet: "At the moment we want to focus making it better and better every week, and then… who knows!"