Maine Food & Beverage Education Center (MFBEC) is excited to announce its first-ever Maine Night Market, taking place on Aug. 31, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Maine Tasting Center campus in Wiscasset. This vibrant event, for which entry is free, will shine a spotlight on Maine’s AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) food and beverage producers along with businesses that produce traditional Asian foods and ingredients, showcasing the diversity and richness of Maine’s culinary landscape.

Visitors to the Maine Night Market will experience an outdoor, farmers’ market-style event with vendors offering a wide array of delicious food and drink products. In addition to sampling and purchasing locally produced goods, attendees will enjoy a specially curated menu of snacks and beverages in the Tasting Room. In the Learning Center, cooking demonstrations and educational sessions led by featured producers will happen throughout the evening, providing deeper insights into AAPI cuisine.

The idea for the Maine Night Market originated with one of MFBEC’s newest team members, Caroline Chung, who serves as the nonprofit’s industry relations coordinator. Chung, a Korean-American who grew up in northern Virginia near one of the largest Koreatowns in the country, has found it challenging to connect with her cultural roots since moving to Maine. Through her work at MFBEC and her personal research, she discovered a growing community of AAPI food producers in the state, some of whom she found to share her feelings of cultural separation.

"This event is about more than just food," said Chung. "It's about bringing people together, starting conversations and creating a sense of belonging. I wanted to create a space where we could celebrate our heritage and share the stories behind the amazing food traditions we bring to Maine." Chung’s vision is to use this event as a way to build community amongst Mainers of various AAPI ethnicities and backgrounds, but also to invite the wider public to enjoy traditional AAPI foods and learn more about the people who make them.

This event is free and open to the public – tickets are not required – and offers a unique opportunity to support and learn about the diverse voices in Maine’s food community. Learn more at www.mainetastingcenter.com/mainenightmarket