Courtesy of North Market Bridge Park
Taste of the Market Gala - North Market Bridge Park
One year since the opening of North Market’s Dublin location, the space has filled with vendors and, at last, it’s time to celebrate.
“(The success of North Market Bridge Park is) hard to believe considering what else has been going on this last year,” says North Market executive director Rick Harrison Wolfe. “It’s beyond our expectations and that’s being completely sincere.”
The Taste of the Market Gala, modeled after similar events at the downtown North Market location, will showcase the Dublin location with a three-course meal including exclusive dishes and drinks, live entertainment, and the chance to win prizes through roulette and craps games.
Wolfe says the atmosphere will be more like a party than a formal, black-tie event. He describes it as a “three-ring circus” or a party with hundreds of friends but none of the cooking or cleaning.
The gala takes places 7-11 p.m. Nov. 5. More than just an anniversary party, it will make up for an opening hindered by COVID-19.
“We weren’t able to have a grand opening,” Wolfe says. “We’re now really able to have that grand opening and a one-year anniversary all wrapped into one.”
Originally announced in 2019, North Market Bridge Park faced considerable obstacles when the pandemic set in. Despite that, the market opened at 6750 Longshore St. on Nov. 5, 2020 – albeit in a limited form.
North Market Bridge Park began with just four vendors out of the 18 that the space can hold. Wolfe says North Market was able to continue introducing vendors over the last year, which kept appeal fresh at the space during a challenging time for the restaurant industry.
“That kept people coming back,” he says. “New merchants are always the most exciting time. … It really kept the energy and excitement level over the year.”
Now, guests can purchase food from 16 permanent vendors at the Dublin market. One additional marketSHARE space will play host to a rotating cast of temporary vendors, Rime Time Curiously Crafted Pops held the spot this summer. Gallo’s Pizzeria will fill the last remaining slot and hopes to officially open by the gala.
Wolfe says Taste of the Market serves multiple functions beyond celebrating openings or anniversaries. Proceeds from the gala help to subsidize the operating costs of the market, allowing it to better support the businesses it hosts.
Ultimately, though, Taste of the Market is a celebration of the vendors themselves and the community that supports them.
“We’re there because of the folks that walk through the door,” Wolfe says. There’s a lot of support from the community.”
Tickets are available in advance for $100 and include food and drinks. V.I.P. tickets, at $150, give early access at 6:30 p.m. to a reception with Wolfe featuring an exclusive drink and food tastes.
Cameron Carr is the associate editor. Feedback welcome at ccarr@cityscenemediagroup.com.
