People that say Vancouver is a boring city need to get out more. There are lots of things to do year round, from heading out to River Rock Casino to play some poker, to going roller-blading along the Seawall. There’s also plenty of good food to enjoy. Every summer for the past few years, there has been something called the Richmond Night Market. Richmond is a suburb of Vancouver that is largely populated by people who are originally from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and surrounding areas. As such, you’ll find a lot of Chinese shops, restaurants, and malls.

One of the things that people like about Hong Kong is that there is a street-level market where you can go, bargain, and barter your way to some pretty excellent deals. Sure, there are some knockoff Louis Vuitton handbags and fake Nike tee-shirts, but who can deny a price that low. That’s what the Richmond Night Market is designed to bring to the people of Vancouver (and surrounding area). And the food there is pretty good (and cheap) too.

I’m not much of a shopaholic, so things like the 2007 Richmond Night Market don’t really appeal to me. They do appeal to folks like Susanne though… and as such, I’m kind of pulled into it. At the same time, it’s something to do and it helps break up the usual routine, so it’s not like I’m complaining either.

The people that run the market have finally updated the official website with information about this year’s festivities. It’s going to be at the same location as last year, behind the Home Depot near Vulcan Way and Sweden Way (sort of close to the IKEA on Bridgeport). In terms of dates, they’ll be running from May 18 to October 8, and we can probably expect the parking to be atrocious as usual.

A word to wise: If you happen to park further away, say on No. 5 Road, you may want to avoid walking along River Road. A ditch runs along the whole length of the road, resulting in a never-ending cloud of mosquitoes, mayflies, and other nasty infestations. Going in the midst of summer might not be such a bright idea… and this is the bright note I’m going to end this entry on.

UPDATE (7/12): Here’s a post on the food at Richmond Night Market. Enjoy and try not to salivate on your keyboard.