Though Thanksgiving has passed, it is never too late to express gratitude and stuff yourself with far too much food. This Saturday, Nov. 27, Seattle's Chinatown-International District neighborhood will play host to a "Small Business Saturday Food Walk" from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event offers $6 bites from over 30 restaurants, giving Seattleites the chance to sample a wide variety of foods.
The Food Walk will consist of a variety of sellers and locations. Some vendors are standalone restaurants, some are inside of the grocery store Uwajimaya, and some are food trucks.
Starting at Hing Hay Park (423 Maynard Ave. S), attendees can pick up a paper menu and "some free goodies," according to the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area's Instagram. There will be a Sound Transit table, where Link light rail project and public transportation questions are answered for those who are curious.
Bubble tea and puff pastries will satisfy any event-goer's sweet tooth, while savory options range from poke bowls to dumplings to rice dogs, all with a more-than-reasonable $6 price tag.
The schedule of the event allows for a perfect afternoon of casual shopping, snacking on small treats and appetizers, and maybe even finding a new favorite café. On Instagram, the CIDBIA also suggests some retail shopping in neighboring Japantown.
The Food Walk is one event of many by the organization, a "nonprofit tasked to improve the economic vitality of Seattle's historic Chinatown-International District," according to its website.
The CIDBIA also advertises a simultaneous event called "Meet the Maker," at Little Saigon Creative (1227 S. Weller St., Suite A), "a community gathering space dedicated to Vietnamese culture and experiences, providing community-centered services, and... a place to socialize and dream of new ideas," according to its website. Artists Anh and Stacy Nguyen will sell artwork and potential holiday gifts at this pop-up event, including stickers, prints, postcards, and pins.
The CIDBIA
Business improvement areas are collaborative efforts of local stakeholders, residents, and business owners who wish to address the needs of communities with funding and opinions from the inside. They do not supplant any state services but rather supplement where support is lacking, to establish thriving economies and preserve the cultural integrity of their neighborhoods. Funding comes from assessments determined by communities.
The CIDBIA started in 1994 and has grown to host many successful events, including night markets, arts and crafts fairs, and Lunar New Year food walks, to name a few. Its current success in events and advertising services hinges on the successful use of social media through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (both @iheartid). These platforms assist in business improvement efforts, as they essentially function as virtual bulletin boards.
On Instagram, posts inform community members of upcoming events, small business funds, store updates, neighborhood surveys, and even COVID-19 safety tips, making transparent many of the efforts of the CIDBIA.
The collaborative planning and advertising between the CID, Japantown, and Little Saigon comes from a larger effort of the business improvement area to bolster local business activity and foster thriving community spaces in all these areas. While introducing customers to new food spots, or helping them affordably enjoy their favorite dishes, the CIDBIA is also bringing people together to sustain family businesses and local culture.
Full menu options for the Food Walk are on @iheartid's social media accounts, as well as its website, https://www.seattlechinatownid.com/. The website for Little Saigon Creative is https://flsseattle.org/creative/.