FoodieLand Night Market returned to Las Vegas from March 24 to 26, and again from March 31 to April 2 for a two-week stint. Located at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the event had a lineup of more than 175 vendors bringing a plethora of food, art and entertainment to the valley.
Social media marketing and local word of mouth were important factors in the event’s popularity. FoodieLand’s Las Vegas Instagram page has around 39 thousand followers, with the page promoting the event throughout its duration. Additionally, many attendees posted the event on social media, leading to further popularity and higher turnout.
“I heard about FoodieLand through Instagram stories. A lot of my mutual friends were going and many of the food stands did a great job in presenting its food in a way that made people want to try it themselves,” said UNLV student Raineil Cheng.
While novel foods like fried twisted potato sticks and drinks served in giant baby bottles were offered, the event also featured all manner of foods from different locations and cultures.
Everything from mouthwatering grilled seafood and homestyle Southern comfort food to enticingly sweet beef bulgogi fries and refreshing boba milk teas was served at the night market, allowing those in attendance to pick and choose based on cravings or wherever their nose took them.
Regarding the night market’s food options, Cheng said, “The food selection was pretty good, and there were surprisingly many different foods to try, from deep-fried options to healthier meals.” However, Cheng also noted the lack of vegan options, which should’ve been taken into account considering the diverse population the event catered to.
Among the different options, fan favorites included The LobserHaus, a seafood stand specializing in grilled Maine lobsters. Their signature truffled lobster and garlic noodle combo had people lining up at their booth for the entirety of the event.
Foodies looking to switch up their palette could turn to Slanging Tacos, a local, family-owned Mexican restaurant focusing on chicken, shrimp, asada and birria tacos. Their chipotle chicken tacos were notably popular. Consisting of three tacos with perfectly marinated chicken, grilled shells, lime and cotija cheese garnish, the resulting savory and spicy dish was a go-to for many attendees.
UNLV student Dominic Oatley had high praise for the meal, stating that his favorite food was “hands down the chipotle chicken tacos.” On a sweeter note, Oatley equally enjoyed halo-halo, a Filipino dessert made of crushed ice, ube jam, red bean, jelly and coconut, and the Hawaiian honey cones, a J-shaped honey cone filled with Hokkaido-style vanilla ice cream.
Despite the plethora of food options, the lack of available seating and weather conditions hampered the experience at times. “The downside of an outdoor event like FoodieLand is how the weather can impact your experience since it was insanely windy the day I went. The lack of seating in some areas also made the experience difficult at times,” stated Oatley.
Cheng’s observations reinforced this idea as well, stating, “Hopefully they keep being strategic about the setting and paying attention to the weather since that was a huge aspect in how people experienced the event this year.”
Still, Cheng told the Free Press that while none of the food options stuck out to her particularly, the whole experience of being around different foods and vendors made up for it.
“If I had tried more things it would’ve been different, but even then I would definitely come back with my friends to try out other vendors if they host another [event] in the near future,” Cheng said.
While FoodieLand Night Market’s next event in Las Vegas is yet to be announced, further information detailing additional event dates in California can be found on its website.
However, Las Vegas foodies can look forward to the Great American Foodie Fest, which will be held from May 5 to 7 at Craig Ranch Regional Park. More information can be found on its website.
