10/06/2026 Press Release
NIGHTMARKET.FUN ANNOUNCES FILIPINA RAPPER, PRODUCER AND TINY DESK 2025 WINNER RUBY IBARRA AS HEADLINER FOR NOV. 14 EVENT AT LAKELINE PARK; TICKETS ON SALE NOW
NightMarket.fun to feature two music stages, Kaiju Hunt AR experience, Pokémon Takeover Zone, vendors such as Chi’lantro and Red Dragon Bao, Cinema by the Lake, kids craft events, over 100 vendors and makers and more
(AUSTIN, TEXAS — Oct. 6, 2026; source: Juice Consulting) — NightMarket.fun (NM.F), Central Texas’s Asian pop culture festival featuring over 100 local vendors and markets around art, anime, K-pop, street food and more, announces its headlining act for its 2026 edition: Filipina rapper, producer and Tiny Desk 2025 winner Ruby Ibarra. Ibarra will be joining over 20 performers on the mHart Stage at NM.F, along with promqueen, francene rouelle and more. Also announced for this year are a variety of vendors, programming and activities for all ages at the event, which returns to Lakeline Park (1510 Alexis Dr, Cedar Park, TX 78613) on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 4 - 10 p.m. Built by The Lunar Foundation and the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC), and an official City of Cedar Park event through 2028, NightMarket.fun is a festival by the community, for the community, and tickets are on sale now - to purchase, see here.
NM.F presents a rare chance to see Ruby Ibarra live in Austin on the mHart stage, one of two stages running all night, with more than 20 live performances of music, dance, and martial arts. Also on the mHart stage, some of the performers you'll see include Austin Taiko, promqueen, francene rouelle, DJ Lo-ti-on, and allie arnaez. Over on the ATX Artists Stage, catch artists like Eric Ching Trio, Groove Mosaic, The Dropouts, and Moonflower Performing Arts Group. From traditional dance to martial arts demos to local musicians, it's a showcase of the incredible AANHPI talent right here in Central Texas.
NM.F attendees will have access to the most delicious dishes from dozens of kitchens, with bold flavors from across Asia, including Chi'lantro, Red Dragon Bao, Two Sisters Kimchi, Aburi Oshi Sushi, Happy Lemon, Thai Treats by Tien, and plenty of sweets and cool treats. And for the grown-ups, there will be Tito’s Bar and featuring the signature NightMarket cocktail, Tiki Lantern Punch, with a mocktail version available too.
The festival will feature more than 100 vendors and makers, from anime, K-pop, and gaming goods to handcrafted art and cultural treasures, and eventgoers will also be able to meet the community organizations that make Central Texas what it is, like the Vietnamese Immersion Program, Okashicon, Dhamma Sukha Austin, and Urban Affordable Living. An interactive AR experience, the Kaiju Hunt, will also be a standout - before the event, everyone is invited to draw their own kaiju (strange and mysterious beasts and creatures), which they can submit to The Lunar Foundation here; selected designs will then be brought to life as augmented reality creatures by the AR company Illust for guests to track down. The moonlit monster hunt begins once the lanterns are lit at NightMarket.fun - when the festival opens its gates, every visitor's quest is the same: track down as many kaiju sightings as you can across the market. Enter the Kaiju Art Contest and score a bonus drop: a promo code for $2 off your ticket to NM.F. More details coming soon at www.nightmarket.fun.
Additionally, this year, NM.F welcomes the Pokémon Takeover Zone, hosted by Trainer's Sandbox: Learn to play with Pokémon Professors, bring your deck and collection to play and trade with others, create with arts & crafts, take pictures with cosplayers, and more! This experience is built around the Champion's Journey, a passport-style adventure that ties the whole zone together. Pick up your passport, complete activities to earn badges and stickers, and fill it up to take home a certificate or special memorabilia at the end. Every trainer's journey starts somewhere.
NM.F invites eventgoers to stroll through the Artists Gallery, featuring original work from local artists, as well as the Community Art Gallery, where everyone is invited to add their own creativity to the festival. And, as the sun goes down, attendees can head to Cinema by the Lake, presented by Alamo Drafthouse, with four hours of open-air film and media curated by AANHPI film organizations, and live movie trivia along the way.
Additionally, for families, there will be a Kids Zone with activities made just for younger guests, and guided activities in the Pavilion throughout the event. The festival also has created the Empress Lounge, a women's wellness lounge with wellness resources drawn from many Asian cultures, which includes a quiet space for nursing mothers.
To find all of this information in one place, attendees are encouraged to grab the free, multilingual NMF Passport app, a guide to every vendor, artist, performer, and activity at the festival. But the Passport is more than a map - it's a game. At every vendor, activation, and stage, festivalgoers can look for a barcode, scan it with the app, and collect a mahjong tile. Wander the market, visit everyone, and see how many tiles you can collect by the end of the night.
ABOUT THE LUNAR FOUNDATION:
The Lunar Foundation is an arts and culture 501(c)(3) nonprofit building economic pathways for AANHPI artists in Central Texas, turning creative work into sustainable careers and connecting communities through the arts.
ABOUT THE GREATER AUSTIN ASIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
The Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC) is a 501(c)(6) and the leading partner for local economic growth among businesses with ties to Asia and Asian Americans.
ABOUT CEDAR PARK PARKS AND RECREATION:
Cedar Park is a thriving city in Williamson County, Texas, located just north of Austin. Known for its strong community spirit, excellent schools, and outstanding quality of life, Cedar Park is committed to delivering innovative programs and services that meet the needs of its growing, diverse population.
ABOUT ILLUST:
illust. is an augmented reality discovery and publishing platform, akin to Pokémon GO but for culture. It's a no-code, web-based tool that makes creating and deploying augmented reality (AR) experiences simple and accessible. Artists, brands, and storytellers such as Four Seasons, Shopify, and MF DOOM have brought their iconography to life with illust., anchoring interactive AR content to real-world locations—all without needing technical expertise. Visit illust.space to start your free 10-day trial.
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MEDIA NOTE:
For media RSVPs to NightMarket.fun, or for general inquiries, interview requests, and more information about The Lunar Foundation, please contact the team at
Juice Consulting:
Tyler Ostby