H&8th Night Market

This is my favorite OKC event! The whole
City comes alive in midtown and I swear everyone is there. To me, it’s not about the food trucks, it’s about feeling a part of the community and making this a priority at the end of each month. The food trucks are great too, of course. After years of going, I wish more trucks would come around, but I guess there are only so many you can have in the city. I love the added component of a flea market this past year. I would love to see more local stores take part in that too.

Oklahoma City is growing rapidly and the establishment of events like H&8^th show that people are taking an interest in food that is both yummy and local.
There is a good variety of food trucks, but after seeing what’s available on the West Coast (for example Berkeley and San Francisco’s «Off the Grid» events), I realized that this event still caters heavily to the meat lovers of the South/​Southwest/​Midwest/​Central regions.
There were several art-​related activities: live music from local bands, poetry organizations, photo gallery hosted by The Nature Conservancy, etc. It’s cool to see more community-​building events, but the event is young and could be made a lot more inclusive through more detailed planning catered to the needs of vendors and customers.
TL;DR
Great for families, dogs, friends! Scary port-​a-​potties. Average food and variety of food. Chill and artsy. Would like to see more thoughtful planning for vendors and customers.

Love it! We try to go every month!

Food: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Cleanliness: ⁴⁄₅
Décor & Style: ³⁄₅
They need to have this sort of thing weekly! I don’t think OKC has the funding for it, yet, at least. Most of the food truck’s were excellent with my favorite being Mob Grill. The later it got the bigger the crowd therefore longer lines and slower service.
Porta potties were scarce and as with most of them, were not pleasant. I would end up going into a restaurant to buy a drink or snack in order to use the restrooms.
In terms of décor and style there is nothing too unique about this event. It’s just a couple of streets closed off and food trucks lined up for some nightly fun of awesome food and beer.
Overall ⁵⁄₅ rating because this is something OKC needs more of. Stuff like this happens in big cities all the time, and we are growing so we need to get caught up!

H&8^th is great, but getting out early to beat the 20k+ people and standing behind them in line is well worth it.

I remember my first H&8^th. I love the idea behind it, too. Its so great to roam around between downtown and midtown with endless trucks, pop-​up shops, local music, and tasty food. It’s also grown like crazy, from a few hundred the first festival, to 20,000−40,000. It’s insane, and it makes me incredibly proud to be in OKC when we can get stuff like this right.
The hardest part is the lines, especially if you get there a little later as the sun is setting. But lines are to be expected with as many people as this draws in.
All in all, H&8^th is something you can’t miss if you’ve never been. If you’re thinking of things to show people in OKC, maybe an out of town guest, take them here!

Fun, outdoor event for friends, family, or both! Great selection of some of the best food trucks in OKC. Make sure you have cash because although most trucks take a card, not all do. Also– this event does get crowded so parking becomes a challenge. I usually park in midtown and walk over. I never pay for parking… there’s usually an open spot or two somewhere. Grab a beer, some great food, and enjoy people watching and live music.

Lots of cool food trucks and vendors but be warned, it gets really crowded. I’d try to go early when the lines are shorter. My friends usually grab our food then hang out at Blue Garten for drinks and jenga

This is one one of my favorite places to come on the last Friday of the month. I love getting to try all the different food trucks and hang out with friends.
This event has been growing in popularity since I first attended last year. However, the quality of the food and the food trucks has only increased along with the selections available. My two favorite food trucks to visit are Taste of Soul Egg Roll and Roxy’s Ice Cream.
This event is a great place meet and hangout with people new people. They live music is the only thing that seems to be a hit or miss for me.
Whether your a local or a visitor to OKC on the last Friday of the month I highly recommend making a trip to H&8^th.

Great way to meet new people, people watch, try local foods, and hang out with friends and family! Very dog friendly. Parking can be hard to come by so arrive early or be prepared to walk!
So many great food trucks. Never had a bad experience. Most accept credit cards and all accept cash. So have one or both.
Be patient and be prepared for large crowds. Lots of dogs.
There was even a cyclist race tonight!
We ended the night with ice cream from Roxy’s. Highly recommend it. Had a great night. :).

The venue is amazing the vendors were awesome. #IceCream #onionhamburger #pizza #smore tvs, live music, corn hole too. Fire pits. Family Environment pet friendly also.

H&8 is a great event that happens on the last Friday of every month during the season (usually ends during Winter time). I think it’s amazing for Oklahoma and a great way to help the local community and also to interact with people and bring your dogs to socialize. It’s definitely a great way to promote anything or get noticed.
The food trucks and variety is definitely top notch. You’ll have a wide selection to choose from. Some places only take cash while some take card as well, but there are ATMs. They also have other things besides food trucks, like clothing and boutique trucks and shops, business and sports team promotions, and local businesses openings as well.
Unfortunately, H&8^th’s biggest strength and is also it’s biggest weakness. It’s been such a hit and so successful, that the events now are always super incredibly packed. Lines are way too long and very crowded. Now, I usually go an hour early (around 6:15 — 6:30pm) before what the event time states it usually starts at (7pm). There are a few trucks that will open early to accommodate people who are there early and want to beat the rush traffic, while some are adamant at starting at 7.
Overall, a great event and experience for any Okie or even out of towners. My biggest advise when you go: go early so you can find parking and short lines for food, and bring cash only.

H&8^th is an awesome addition to the OKC scene. Food trucks have taken over recently, and it’s great to find them all in one place! I recommend going as close to 7 p.m. as possible because the popular trucks’ lines get long fast. I’ve waited an hour for an egg roll (a delicious egg roll, at that!). On a nice night though, the lines aren’t a big deal to me because it’s nice to just walk around and see local vendors and restaurants and people. I feel like this used to be a very trendy/​hipster event, but it has grown so much and now I see all types of people there, and family members I would never expect have checked it out. This summer, H&8^th has blown up and I couldn’t be happier!

Late review. Catching up.
It was very well organized with a wide selection of food and entertainment, thats why i gave it three stars.
I am always looking for traditional street tacos. This market fell short.
The indian food truck was good, but I was slightly disappointed that they didnt have samosas.
They should double up on popular foods.
The big screen movie was inappropriate for young children. Create a corner for kids… unless I missed it.

H&8^th, occurring the last Friday of every month April to October (I think), on Hudson Street (originally *at* NW 8^th St, now stretching from NW 6^th to NW 10^th, plus
along 7^th between Hudson and Walker) is a 5 star street festival/​market. Whatever room for improvement –within the control of the organizers– has been recognized and made as the market continues to evolve.
Complainers consider: the fault may lie within you. Yes, it can be blasted hot (this is Oklahoma) and the lines can be long (people come to the festival! Food trucks are not fast food restaurants!) and sounds can be loud (trucks mostly require generators) and food can be expensive-​ish (there’s that bizarre living wage idea, again. SMH). Barring these things, the organization of the market, you must admit, is pretty fine.
First, the trucks. They’re vetted. Did you know that? Some of my favorites (Kaiteki, Loaded Bowl, the Halls, Huey’s, Roxy’s, etc., and God rest their souls, Moto Chef and Heo’s) hang out month after month. This is no accident; each truck must 1) exist (a novel idea, but I’ve heard of people requesting a spot at H & 8^th before the truck and biz are running. Still SMH) and 2) offer something unique. As in, fried Oreos and corn dogs (unless they’re capital ‘S’ Special– hand battered, with a homemade sauce) likely need not apply. Organizers want variety and quality. Come to think of it, so do I.
Second, the booths. Not the food, but the charitable groups, such as the intrepid «Be
The Match» tent. Did you know Swab Squad (look out for the gigantic q-​tips on the blue tent outside Elemental Coffee) can get you on the National Bone Marrow Registry in minutes (less than the time it takes to decide which truck you want!). See, go find dinner and potentially save a life! Ha! Open your eyes and you’ll see plenty of other booths worth stopping at. (I love the poets, who will create and type up a poem for you, if only given an idea) (or the art booths, where my kids can paint constellations on a black canvas) (or Urban Agrarian, where I can buy farm fresh produce).
Third, the music, which kind of is the crowd, too, if you think about it. As far as I can tell, there is official music (bands on stage) and unofficial music (drummers, guitar players, jazz blasting out food truck speakers). It’s loud. Has to be, ’cause the generators (and we need those, mostly) are loud, too. However much I want to think the spirit of H&8^th is in the trucks, the energy is sustained by the music. It’s why you’re there, introverts and extroverts alike: to eat, people watch /​mingle and ahem, party. On the block.
Bring a blanket if you want to chill on the green east of Hudson. Arrive early (6:30) if you want to beat the crowds in line. Take water and cash (some trucks accept credit, but it slows down the lines). Expect it to be crowded, in the best way, with color and dogs and children, a palpable sense of pride in OKC and where she’s going. Enjoy!

As an out-​of-​towner, I had such a blast at H&8^th. I love food trucks and live music, which this event definitely offers. The coffee shop is even open at this time, which is awesome if you go in the evening and want to walk around sipping coffee and watching people. That sounds creepy, but I’m a people watcher/​photographer/​foodie/​coffee addict, so H&8^th is perfect!
I’m sure it can be very crowded at earlier hours, and lines can be miserable. I went around 9 and had a great time!

I suppose if it was warmer this would have been a terrific happening. I liked Pie On the Fly’s peanut butter banana cream pie and Roxy’s salted carmel ice cream. The Pagoda Pizza place was unusual, unexpected even.
It would have been 15% better if I had pedestrian right of way on a sidewalk with a baby stroller. I get the fact that folks who were standing there first win the right of way battle, but the Bob Harper doppelgänger with a beer in hand who walks up from the street just to stand there. no sir.
That and the weather are my only true qualms.
If we had gotten the H&8^th early experience it maybe have been more family friendly. Definitely going to give them a second change to redeem the adventure with gumbo and a Oklahoma cheesesteak with bbq. there is already a plan in place!

So June’s H & 8^th was like night and day compared to April. The place was packed — and I mean jam-​packed — by the time things actually started at 7:00, and it didn’t let up. This is what Berra meant when he said no one goes there because it’s too crowded. There were more food trucks than last time but the crowds overwhelmed them; the only line that wasn’t 50 deep was for gumbo, and after a 10-​minute wait through their line I arrived only to be told that they were out.
So they may have become a victim of their own success a little bit. If we could replicate April or put some kind of quota on the crowd, I’d be here every time. If it’s going to be as crowded as the last one, I just don’t know …

My feelings are kind of torn. Still on the fence about how to review it. Food trucks + music = awesomeness. Fighting your way through hoards of people and trying to find parking = not fun. I was also under the impression that there would be more things to chose from –food wise and activities wise– but it was still a good time.
I think this event is great for the community because it brought together so many people. Free events are great for people watching (by free, I mean no entry fee to attend.) I had a blast hanging out with my Unilocaly friends that’s for sure :)

The event was a little smaller than I expected it to be. The narrow street made it for quite a crowded and ‘intimate’ setting.
I think the food trucks rotate or something at each market, but for March 29^th, there were Taste of Soul (Eggrolls and generally fast food Asian), Urban Agrarian (A natural foods truck with some produce, bread, treats, and cheese), Off the Hook (seafood), Roxy’s (icecream), Heo’s Kitchen (Asian), a COOP beer truck, and if there was anything else it’s slipping my mind!
I also didn’t realize that it was such a popular event! So many people were there and it looked as if most were actually playing the consumer role instead of simply loitering. I’m sure all of the food trucks made out quite well.
The line for beer was overwhelming and Ludivine was very full so my friends and I trekked to McNellie’s for some drinks before going back around 10pm to a less crowded, but still busy, night market.
With events like these it’s almost impossible to understand the lyrics of the stage bands, but I really enjoyed the beat and sound of it. I’m usually not a fan of local bands, but OK does have some real talent, ya know!
I wanted to try Off the Hook but I had eaten earlier before the market and was still pretty full. I hope they’re there next time! I did go to Roxy’s for icecream though. They take Keep It Local which earns you an extra punch on the punch card they give you –10 punches=a free cone! I only got vanilla this time around but if I catch them sometime, I’ll try out one of their many other yummy looking flavors.