The Thousand Oaks Mall 805 Night Market cooked, served and ate
The Oaks Mall parking lot was full, but people were not there to buy new clothes, see movies or eat pretzels. Instead, the Thousand Oaks community came together to experience a blend of cultures that brought different worlds to one suburban town.
From Sept. 5-7, the 805 Night Market filled the The Oaks Mall parking lot with unique performances, sizzling food, clothing vendors and carnival games from 3-10 p.m.. Guests could reserve tickets for free at 805nightmarket.com or through the link in their Instagram bio.
Roy Lara founded the 805 Night Market four years ago when sit-down restaurants closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and jeopardized his food review channel, Trendi Eats. For Lara, the goal is not just to sell food, but to create a space where people feel connected through shared experiences.“My favorite part about running this event has to be the diversity of a bunch of ethnicities, because we always aim for [a variety of] multicultural food,” Lara said.
The 805 Night Market finds its home in various locations across Ventura and Los Angeles throughout the year. This event was the first time it had come to The Oaks Mall in two years. “It’s the perfect spot in between LA and the rest of Ventura County,” Lara said.
Food vendors included Pink Mango, Cheesy Boys, 2nd Mile Coffee, Mexi Tacos and Birria, Kanto Filipino Street Food, Dragon Fire BBQ, Good Vibes Concessions and more. Good Vibes Concessions sold a fusion of Hawaiian and Filipino foods. Eric Angel, cashier and cook, recommends the kimchi butter wings, which won the LA Heat People’s Choice Award for street food in July 2024. “That’s our award winner,” Angel said.
While enjoying their food, attendees gathered around to watch a lucha libre match, a style of Mexican wrestling, organized by Hex Wrestling Promotion at about 6 p.m.. One wrestler, known as Victario Spicario, meaning “the Hitman” in English, lives out his childhood fantasy of being a luchador each time he enters the ring. “Ever since I was a little kid, I loved it,” Victrario Spicario said. He explained the importance of lucha libre to Mexican culture. “Lucha libre represents Mexico, just like tacos represent Mexico. It’s a part of our tradition, just like Dia de Los Muertos. It’s a beautiful culture,” Victario Spicario said.
After the lucha libre performance, the stage was taken over by a live music performance featuring song covers in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
Paola Tun, NPHS junior, visited the night market with her friends on Sept. 5, noting that her favorite part of the night was cheering on the lucha libre fighters. “It felt like a real-life WWE experience,” Tun said.
Tun added that although the tickets were free, the overall cost of attending was not. “It’s very expensive. So I suggest [saving up] money for it, because your money goes away as you eat,” Tun said.
Meanwhile, Lene Nagorson, 19, could be seen strolling through the market with her boyfriend on Sept 7. She purchased agua fresca, cheesy corn dogs and birria fries. “I’m really excited to dive deep into different cultures,” Nagorson said.
The 805 Night Market will return to the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles on Oct. 17-19 to bring together a multicultural fusion of music, fun and food. Vendors can apply to sell at 805nightmarket.com. “We live in a world where we’re divided by lots of things […] I think food is something we can always enjoy together,” Lara said.
