March 21, 2024
ALBERT YEE/FAIRMOUNT PARK CONSERVANCY
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation officials say the Southeast Asian Market at FDR Park is expected to open at the end of April. It had been scheduled to return on March 30.
FDR Park's Southeast Asian Market, a decades-long tradition that celebrates ethnic cuisines, will open at the end of April — a month later than usual, city officials said.
In an Instagram post Tuesday, SEA Market said its season would be "delayed until further notice" due to unforeseen circumstances that pushed back the planned March 30 opening.
The market, which has more than 74 vendors, typically operates in two seasons. The first runs from early April through June at a picnic area along South Broad Street near South Meadow Lake. The second continues from July through November in another picnic area near Edgewood Lake.
"The opening of the the market was moved to the end of April to accommodate operational needs that came up," said Charlotte Merrick, communications director for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. "Parks & Rec is committed to giving a positive experience to visitors of this beloved market."
Organizers of the market said the delay is related to requirements that still need to be fulfilled by the Vendors Association of FDR Park.
"We are confident that our SEA Market will be welcoming the community soon," the group said.
SEA Market began informally in the 1970s and '80s, when Laotian and Cambodian refugees who had settled in Philadelphia began selling food from their vehicles at FDR Park. As the market's popularity grew, the street barbecues they held were later joined by offerings from Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian vendors. The market also has fresh produce, plants, clothing and jewelry.
Until recent years, when vendors banded together as a formal organization tied to the park, the market occasionally faced shutdowns from Philadelphia police. It has now become a selling point of FDR Park, which is in the midst of a $250 million plan to modernize amenities and landscapes across its 348 acres. Plans include a permanent location for SEA Market in the vicinity of the skatepark in the southwest corner of the park.
In February, Food & Wine magazine recognized SEA Market as one of the best of its kind in the country.
"It is a sanctuary of shared experiences and a testament to the resilience of the many immigrants and survivors of war that kept and continue to keep the market alive today," Food & Wine said.
SEA Market is encouraging people to visit individual vendors ahead of the return to FDR Park later in the spring.
