Night Market returns to Waterloo under covered venue this summer

The first Uptown Night Market of the summer will open July 4 at the Waterloo Public Library (WPL) inside a newly covered parking lot on Dupont Street.

It’s set to run every Thursday evening until the end of August, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., rain or shine. The Uptown Waterloo business improvement area (BIA) covered the parking lot after having to cancel several times last year.

“For the first one tonight, we almost have 50 vendors participating in it, which is great, also the crowd has been getting bigger and bigger. Last year we were averaging 2,000 people every Thursday night,” said Jeyas Balaskanthan, the executive director of Uptown Waterloo’s BIA.

The night market launched four years ago and has grown ever since.

“It’s an opportunity for vendors who are starting small to sell and get exposure and then they can expand or make it bigger for them.”

This summer they will have performances each Thursday from local musicians and performers. The night market will feature about 40 or more vendors each week. Many vendors are from the region, and include artisans, clothing, vintage items and food companies.

“Cost is one of the prohibitive things that makes it challenging for folks to start something and whereas when you keep the cost low, this is one way we could help and it gives them great exposure being uptown, being part of the market, having over 2000 people come through within three hours,” said Balaskanthan.

The event is free to attend each week with free parking located nearby at WPL’s lower lot.

Happening at the same time, Salsa in the Square is back and runs until 11 p.m. in Waterloo.