On April 20th, the Night Market, hosted by the Westridge Parents Association (WPA), celebrated the diverse cultures and traditions of the Westridge community. The annual event invites Westridge students, faculty, staff, and their friends and family.
Although put on by the WPA, the festival’s activities are mostly student-based. Each year, there is a student bazaar and an array of affinity booths selling various trinkets and foods. This year’s Night Market also featured a fashion show, musical performances, and a showcase of traditional Burmese dance by Sofie W. ’24 who is the head of the Southeast Asian Affinity. She said, “I’ve been doing Burmese traditional dance since I was like eight, so it’s been a really long time. Just performing for people and dancing has been a great way to connect with my heritage.“
After the International Fashion Show, Emma Z. ’33, who, along with her mom, went down the runway with the first group of models, said, “We wanted to show off our culture and how they wear [a hanfu].” A hanfu is a traditional Chinese dress that was popular with people in the Han Dynasty, which is where the “han” in hanfu comes from. While many of the clothing worn were traditional, sisters Amelie S. ’28 and Maya S. ’30, as well as their mom Daniela, took on a more modern look, sporting white flower crowns and t-shirts with the Czech Republic’s coat of arms.
However, the fashion show participants were not the only people to show off their traditional clothing. At the Southeast Asian Affinity, all members were dressed in their traditional outfits. At their booth, the Southeast Asian Affinity had a Vietnamese spread and sold banh mi, coffee, pandan jelly, and spring rolls. Sofie W. ’24, the head of the affinity, said, “We’re just bringing Vietnamese food to let people try it. It’s all in bite-sized portions so people can just test it out, see if they like it. And of course it’s really good.”
Nearby, the Taiwanese Affinity held a mini tea ceremony using green tea leaves bought in Taiwan and a traditional tea set.
Across from them, the Jewish Affinity gave out free sweets like babka and chocolate matzah for attendees as they passed by, letting the Westridge community try some of their favorite Jewish foods. When asked why she volunteered at the Jewish Affinity’s table, Jenna Levanthal said, “I think this is such a special and unique opportunity for different cultures and different types of beautiful expressions to come together. So I really wanted to volunteer and offer some really delicious treats that represent our Jewish traditions.”
Across from the affinity booths was the traditional student bazaar on Braun Patio, where students can not only sell their own hand-crafted items, but can also keep part of the profit and show off their talents. Gia M. ’27 crocheted stuffed dolls, bags, and beanies for the bazaar. She said, “I really enjoy crocheting and people are always telling me that I can make money off of it, so I wanted to try selling it here.”
As most merchandise was handmade, students spent plenty of time crafting their products. For example, 5th grader Rachel Y. spent one year writing her book, Adventures of Diana: Part III On the Road, which she sold along with bracelets and keychains.
The Night Market continues to be an opportunity for the Westridge community to come together and share its members’ diverse cultures. The event is not only fun for students at Westridge, but their families too. Ava L., whose older sister attends Westridge, spoke about her love for the Night Market, saying, “You get to learn about each [culture] with each station, and I think that’s really cool.”
