The Atlanta International Night Market: taste the world

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Mahima Siripurapu

Vegan sushi was a hit amongst all visitors: carnivore or herbivore.

Gwinnett: the most diverse county in all of Georgia. As of 2015, the county boasted incredible statistics on their demographics, with 42.3% of the population white, 23% black, 12.7% other, and 22% hispanic. This April, Gwinnett County got a chance to celebrate it’s multicultural population with the Atlanta International Night Market.

The Atlanta International Night market (AINM), made its debut the weekend of April 21st. The three day event featured over 70 countries. Located at Gwinnet Place Mall, the open air night market featured over 700 vendors, all showcasing food and art pieces from the various countries. In addition the market had organized itself to have various sections such as the “Kid-zone” and “Veggie Village” to properly showcase its food and entertainment to its visitors.

Mahima Siripurapu
A rare find in the metro Atlanta area: Ethiopian food. Two women cooked collard greens, various lentils, and rice for the visitors.

The Atlanta International Night Market boasts that its goal is to: “celebrat[e] Diversity, Inclusion, Community & Culture. The Atlanta International Night Market events are about celebrating people from every culture and every country with the goal of opening the hearts and minds of our participants to embrace the diversity of the human family. Learning about other culture’s food, performances, games, and traditions is an important way that we can help bring about real positive change in our global community.

Mahima Siripurapu
Vietnamese vendors run a stall selling vegan crepes and vegetarian spring rolls. A warm treat for visitors.

Although it rained on Sunday, visitors still found themselves exploring the different tents and watching the jaw-dropping performances. The Atlanta International Night hosted an astounding 50,000 visitors from the metro-Atlanta area. After being recognized as an extremely successful event, the organization has decided on hosting another market from November 3rd-5th of this year.