Tumon Night Market to continue with expanded themes

BY PAULY SUBA
Journal Staff

The Tumon Night Market will continue, following a successful nine-week pilot program that attracted thousands of attendees and generated millions in vendor revenue. GVB made the announcement on Oct.1, at a press conference held at its's headquarters in Tumon.

“I’d just like to share that for many years, the Wednesday night market acted as a big hit among our visitors,” said Gerald S.A. Perez, vice president of GVB. “And so, when the recovery committee got together, chaired by Mark Baldyga, one of the items that they brought up was the possibility of a second event, but away from Hagåtña and more centered here in Tumon, where there’s no problem with visitors just walking over to the location. And so, hence, the Tumon Night Market was created.”

Perez said the Sunday night market averages more than 3,000 attendees and involves over 80 vendors and 40 entertainers. “The estimated revenue captured per night is about a quarter of a million dollars,” Perez said. “So, that’s good for our local businesses, good for our local vendors, and good for our local residents interacting with our visitors.”

The event will run Sundays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with road closures in Tumon from 6 a.m. Sunday until early Monday morning. Parking will be available at DFS, across Sandcastle, Tumon Sands Plaza (limited), and Gov. Joseph Flores Memorial Park (Ypao Beach Park), with a shuttle service operating from Ypao between 4:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Security will be provided at the event site and parking areas.

October dates are Oct. 12, Oct. 19 and Oct. 26, followed by Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov. 16 and Nov. 23, and Dec. 7, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21. There will be no night markets on Oct. 5 or Nov. 30. Organizers noted that dates are subject to change due to weather.

Event themes for October include “Back to Our Roots” on Oct. 12, “Retro 80’s Neon Night” on Oct. 19 and “Hallows Eve Night” on Oct. 26.

Kraig Camacho, GVB’s senior destination specialist for sports and events, said the pilot phase gave organizers “a lot of discovery” in terms of infrastructure and weather. “We are going to start this Sunday in an effort to get everybody rejuvenated, restarted, and reactivated on October 12th,” Camacho said. “These are your events. They’ll also be listed and put on our website.”

 Geraldine M. Leon Guerrero, president and general manager of Adztech, said vendor feedback is a priority. “Every week we always pivot. We pivot based off of information that we get from our vendors, and we do our best to ensure that everybody’s happy,” she said. 

Vendors and entertainers must apply through GVB’s contractor, Adztech.

Local businesses said the event has boosted activity in Tumon. “Based on the feedback from our customers, they said this is something new for them to do in Guam,” said Amine Loyola, owner of Korned. “This is similar to Myeong-dong in Korea, or the Dotonbori in Japan. So, I’m just happy that we have something like this in Guam.”

Rick Hernandez, owner of Totot Island, said the event also supports small businesses without storefronts. “It’s good for us to help us build our brand and showcase our culture in a cool and big way,” he said.

GVB estimates that the pilot program generated about $225,000 per night for vendors. The bureau invested about $39,000 per night to operate the event.

Perez said the long-term future of the market depends on sustainability. “I can’t think of anything right now other than the viability of the event. And from all sides that we see, it looks like as long as we can continue to afford it, and continue to generate arrivals, this might be a permanent fixture like the Wednesday Night Market,” he said.

Camacho thanked residents for their support. “To the residents of Guam, thank you for embracing the Tumon Night Market with such enthusiasm,” he said. “It is for you that we strive to create these memorable experiences. And for all of you, the Tumon Night Market is more than just an event. It’s a celebration of our community, our culture, our collective spirit.” mbj