The annual cultural event “2026 Taiwan Yes! Market Fair (Taiwan Night Market)” will be grandly held on August 30th (Sunday) in Bridgewater City, New Jersey. This year’s event will combine the “Apple Rock Music Festival” and the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, featuring nearly 30 Taiwanese food stalls, 20 creative market booths, as well as Taiwan cultural displays, children’s activities, and puppet shows.
Organized by Taiwan Yes!, the event is co-sponsored by the Overseas Community Affairs Council, the New Jersey Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce, the World Chinese Business and Professional Women’s Association New Jersey Chapter, the Six-Leaf Cultural Foundation, the Association for Creative Industry Exchange Promotion, and the Northern New Jersey Taiwanese Association.
The organizers stated that they aim to showcase Taiwan’s cultural soft power to mainstream society on the East Coast through this event. It serves as a platform for Taiwanese and people from different ethnicities to interact, allowing more individuals to “see Taiwan, experience Taiwan, and love Taiwan.” The event is free and open to the public, welcoming overseas compatriots and community members to join with their families.
At the press conference held on August 6th, the overall planner and Overseas Community Affairs Council Commissioner, Zhong Wenzhong, announced four major highlights of this year’s event. Firstly, there is a focus on Taiwanese cuisine, featuring classic night market snacks such as bubble milk tea, popcorn chicken, braised pork rice, gua bao, braised eggs, grilled squid, along with new unique delicacies to authentically represent Taiwan’s night market culture.
The second highlight is the simultaneous hosting of the “Apple Rock Music Festival,” featuring Taiwanese rock and pop music, as well as diverse artistic performances, including the Chen Naari Dance Troupe, the Foundation for the Advancement of Taiwanese Americans (FASCA), and Chinese language schools presenting ethnic dances, diabolo acts, and musical performances throughout the day.
The third highlight is the Overseas Community Affairs Commission’s “Taiwan Good Food, Chinese Good Learning” tour, where two renowned chefs from Taiwan will demonstrate the making of Taiwanese cuisine live at 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM. Attendees can taste delicious food while learning about Taiwanese culinary culture and Mandarin language.
The fourth highlight is the cultural experience area, featuring creative markets, Taiwan cultural displays, children’s activities, and a puppet show section, as well as student creations from various Chinese language schools. Through diverse cultural content, the event aims to deepen the understanding of Taiwan’s culture among second and third-generation Taiwanese and people of various ethnicities.
Yi Ru Wang, Director of the New York Overseas Chinese Cultural and Educational Services Center, mentioned that this year’s event has specially incorporated Chinese language education, bringing the Chinese language center outdoors to the mainstream communities with the highest foot traffic in the United States.
Commissioner Yue Mei Chu urged compatriots in the New York area to enthusiastically participate in the event in Bridgewater City. Advisory Commissioner Ying Chun Lin expressed hopes for the Taiwan Night Market to flourish across the United States in the future.
Date: August 30th (Sunday) from 12 PM to 5 PM, Location: Bridgewater Commons (440 Commons Way, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, Parking Lot 9, Entrance near Old Lord & Taylor).