Last May, the quiet cul-de-sac of 20th Street was transformed as the air filled with the sound and smells of sizzling foods. Pulsing music brought colorfully dressed performers, couples and young children to their feet. The Virginia Beach street buzzed with vendors, artists and hundreds at the first International Market Night.
The evening reminded Victor Leite, the event’s creator, of growing up in Brazil, which is why he wanted to replicate the experience. He helped create the ViBe Creative District’s International Market Series last year and this year's kicks off Friday with “Latino Night.”
The June 20 theme will be African cultures.
“I grew up in São Paulo—there, the streets don’t shut down at night, they become lively, active, people go out speaking with one another,” he said.
Leite has traveled the world and loves living in America, but he felt something was missing when it came to community gatherings. In America, he said, “We get a little caught up in our own bubble.”
Leite doesn’t want people to feel disconnected and wants to give people a reason to come out of their bubbles.
“We wanted to put something together that celebrated cultures through music, art, dance, cuisine, and even small business and entrepreneurship.”
The markets allow local businesses, some without brick-and-mortar locations, to introduce themselves and connect with other vendors and patrons.
The team of volunteers worked evenings and on weekends, with a tight budget, to put together last year’s markets celebrating Latin, African and Asian cultures.
It drew more than 600 people on the first night.
This year’s markets are still volunteer-run and funded by sponsors and donations. They have scaled up with more activities, live performances and additional nights featuring cultures from Europe, India, the Pacific Islands and the Middle East.
“We have a great global culture here, you just have to give them a place to express themselves,” Leite said. And in doing so, we can build that deeper sense of community, belonging and insight.
“In our current state of the world, there’s a lot of turmoil. We’re just trying to be a little piece of this world that just brings diversity and turns it into unity.”
Leite said the ViBe’s muraled walls, flea markets and walkability make it a great setting. But the magic really happens when the sun starts to set and the market lights come on.
“We tell everybody— this is an old beach, but we’ve got a new vibe coming.”
The series continues through November. Visit vibecreativedistrict.org for more information.
