The Southeast Asian Market has returned to FDR Park. Here’s what to know

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A popular cultural and food-forward market is back in action in South Philadelphia.

The Southeast Asian Market reopened this past weekend at FDR Park. Founded by refugees and immigrants in the 1980s, it features dozens of vendors of Lao, Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian and Indonesian backgrounds selling snacks, meals, produce, clothing, jewelry and other goods.

The open-air market sees hundreds of attendees on any given day, reveling in the options of papaya salad, meat skewers, sugarcane juice, fresh fruit, chicken lemongrass cheesesteaks, sarongs, trinkets and more.

It is open most Saturdays and Sundays, except for a few noteworthy days, and will move locations within Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park halfway through the 2026 season.

Here’s everything you need to know about the market’s hours and days of operation, as well as how it came to be a South Philly institution.

When is the Southeast Asian Market open?

Through Saturday, Oct. 31, the market will be open most weekends, though it closes for all Eagles home games and the Broad Street Run (Saturday, May 3). It will also close Sunday, June 14, Saturday, June 27, and Saturday, July 4, for FIFA World Cup matches.

It will be open for three-day weekends for Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The market is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine. Cash is strongly recommended, though some vendors accept mobile payment apps like Venmo, Cash App and Apple Pay.

Any updates will be shared via the market’s social channels on Facebook and Instagram.

Where is the Southeast Asian Market located?

From April through June, the market is located in FDR Park’s southeast corner, between picnic areas 17 and 18 and near South Meadow Lake. From July through November, the market will be located in the middle of the park, near picnic area 10 and in between Edgewood Lake and the baseball fields. A map of the market also shows bathrooms and parking options.

What is the market’s history?

In the 1960s and ‘70s, the Vietnam War, the genocide in Cambodia and the Secret War in Laos, as well as associated American bombing campaigns, caused nearly 3 million people to resettle, with more than 1 million seeking a new home in the U.S.

Tens of thousands came to Philadelphia, particularly in the southern part of the city. FDR Park became a popular green space for these refugees — older generations may call the area “Spectrum,” referring to the South Philly sports complex arena that was torn down in 2011.

In the ‘90s, street barbecues hosted by Cambodian and Lao vendors began popping up. At times, resistance was seen from police, park officials and neighbors over business legality and space. But their presence slowly became more popular and respected, and in 2021, the Vendors Association of FDR Park was established with help from the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia — solidifying the market’s legal and beloved presence.