Alien Night Market buzzing after dark

By nightfall, a crowd begins to wander through a makeshift village of colorful stalls as the smell of charcoal-grilled squid wafts through the air.

In one section, vendors demonstrate how to use a variety of knick knacks while children play sideshow games. In another, diners bask in the glow of fairy lights – some accompanied by their furry family members – as a live singer performs on stage.

What sounds like a bustling night market in Asia is much closer to home, next to Underwood’s Area 51.

‘The owner of Area 51 thought nightlife was lacking in Logan and wanted to bring Asian culture and food here to Underwood,’ Operations Manager Jade Shen says.

‘Alien Night Market is the first of its kind in Queensland and I’m so proud of what it’s become.’

For the last 6 months, Jade has single-handedly built the market from the ground up, overseeing everything from construction management to floorplan design and licensing.

The pet-friendly market boasts 45 food stalls with dishes ranging from Vietnamese pho to crispy Chinese egg pancakes filled with chopped scallions and bacon.

Diners have been appearing in droves, with 5,000 to 6,000 visitors every night.

‘We were swarmed the first night and people couldn’t even move,’ Jade says.

‘There’s been a lot of support from the Asian and Aussie communities – many people come to try new things they can’t find in a restaurant.’

According to Jade, the standouts include the flavourful hand-bashed fruit teas, lamb skewers cooked over charcoal and freshly shucked grilled oysters.

Another crowd-pleaser has been the bubble sideshow game, where kids can blow giant performance-level bubbles. The formula was specifically custom-made by a factory for the night market.

The market also hosts special monthly events – most recently, a cosplay contest and show with plenty of prizes and free sideshow games.

For Jade, the most rewarding part of her work is seeing vendors succeed.

‘I’ve managed one-off markets in Brisbane and am able to give them advice and talk through the process,’ she says.

‘I can see their sales improve and it makes me happy. I also want to promote Logan and represent Logan well because we have attendees come all the way from the Gold Coast.’

‘For instance, Hamilton has Eat Street. Now Logan has Alien Night Market.’

Get the latest updates on the Alien Night Market Facebook page.