Beginning Saturday April 1, 2023, every Saturday and Sunday (10am-6pm), enjoy the native dishes, produce, and products from local entrepreneurs at the Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park, a partnership of the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, Vendors’ Association of FDR Park, and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s FDR Park.

The Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park is a community of refugees and immigrant members who have called the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park their home since the 1980’s. For 35+ years they have cultivated an open community space all their own, providing a cultural hub for social gatherings, sharing of ethnic cuisines and business opportunities through vending.

This unique market is a vending community which has blossomed from the original Lao and Khmer sellers, expanding to Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian vendors — each a part of the Southeast Asian refugee and immigrant narrative of Philadelphia, all finding a haven in FDR Park. Shoppers can enjoy many native cuisine dishes, culturally specific produce, plants, clothing and jewelry, as well as services provided by entrepreneurs speaking multiple languages.

In January, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation joined the City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce, the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, and Fairmount Park Conservancy to announce the location of a permanent home for the Southeast Asian food and cultural market in FDR Park. 

The future home of the Southeast Asian market will be located in the southwest corner of FDR Park, between the skatepark and future wetland (currently under development). With a confirmed site, the City and its partners are in the process of designing the infrastructure and amenities needed to house a permanent cultural market at FDR Park. 

The Market is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am – 6 pm. The first day of the Market is Saturday April 1, 2023. In the summertime when the sun sets later, some vendors may also vend past 6 pm, if they have enough available inventory. Three-day weekends this year include Memorial Day and Labor Day. The Market will extend business hours to include that following Monday, however vendor availability may vary. The last day of the Market this year will be Sunday, October 29, 2023.

The Market has two locations categorized by two seasons. Season 1 is from April to June and is found near the Broad Street exit (Picnic Area 17). Season 2 runs from July to October and is found near the Taney Baseball field (Picnic Area 11). To see their locations within FDR Park, click here.

While some vendors have adapted mobile-to-mobile payment apps, it is strongly suggested to bring cash as many of the elders prefer it. There is no ATM located in FDR Park at either the FDR Clubhouse or the Swedish Museum.

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