Entry No. 114 — the Denver file — filed under: outdoor
Havana Street Night Markets
Once a month from late spring through September, the parking lot around Leezakaya on South Havana turns into a global street fair that almost nobody outside Aurora's immigrant neighborhoods knows about. This four-mile stretch bills itself as the most ethnically diverse commercial corridor in Colorado, and the night market is the proof: Korean BBQ, Mexican street tacos, West African plates and fusion oddities side by side, plus vendors hawking jewelry, art and clothing while live music and dancing run till 10pm. It's run by the neighborhood business district, not a festival promoter, which is exactly why it stays under the tourist radar. Show up hungry and graze your way across a dozen cuisines in one lot.
The story
The four-mile stretch of South Havana Street between Dartmouth Avenue and Sixth Avenue in Aurora is Colorado's most concentrated international corridor—a concrete arterial packed with over fifty immigrant-owned eateries, East Asian supermarkets like H Mart, and family bakeries that completely outclass central Denver's gentrified dining strips. Once a month from late spring through September, the neighborhood business district (On Havana Street) partners with Bonfire Event Co. to take over the asphalt parking lot outside Leezakaya at 2710 South Havana, transforming a mundane strip-mall lot into an open-air night market.
Because the event is run directly by the local business improvement district rather than an outside festival promoter, it stays anchored in the actual community it represents. Around 60 local vendors set up under string lights—ranging from Korean BBQ outfits and Mexican taco stands to West African pop-ups, Filipino trucks, and local artisans selling art, jewelry, and plants. Set against the backdrop of live DJs, dance groups, and community stages, it recreates the informal, high-energy street food culture of East Asian night markets right in a suburban parking lot.
What it's like
Show up right at 6:00 p.m. or closer to sunset on the last Saturday of the month to beat the heaviest crowds. The parking lot at Leezakaya fills up almost instantly, so save yourself the headache by parking across Yale Avenue in the adjacent commercial plazas or near Babi Yar Park and walking over. Take a full lap around the lot before buying anything, and keep an eye out for tents displaying "Havana Bites" signs—these offer smaller tasting portions priced at $12 or less so you can graze across multiple cuisines without filling up on the first stand. If you need a break or a clean bathroom, you can slip inside Leezakaya, and bringing a tote bag is recommended if you plan on picking up packaged sweets or artisan wares.
The move: Go hungry on a last-Saturday evening, split a half-dozen small plates from different cuisines across the lot, then linger near the live music with a drink from one of the vendors.
📍 Before you go This is a pop-up, not a place — outside of market nights, 2710 S Havana St is just an ordinary strip-mall restaurant lot with nothing to see, so the calendar matters more than the address. Admission is free and the market only runs the warmer months, late spring into early fall (dates shift year to year, so check ahead). Because the event takes over the Leezakaya parking lot itself, on-site spaces vanish quickly; plan to park elsewhere along the Havana corridor and arrive on the earlier side, both for parking and before the food lines build. Make a fuller evening of it by treating the wider four-mile Havana strip — packed with international restaurants and markets — as your before-or-after stop.
- 📍 Aurora (Havana Street corridor)
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Big night
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Leezakaya parking lot, 2710 S Havana St, Aurora, CO (Havana Street corridor; last Saturdays of the month)
Hours: Seasonal; last Saturdays of the month May-September 2026 (May 30, Jun 27, Jul 25, Aug 29, Sep 26), roughly 6pm-10pm. Confirm current dates before going.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Rocky Mountain Paddleboard Full Moon Paddle — Combine an early evening of street food grazing on Havana with a moonlight paddle right around the corner on Cherry Creek Reservoir.
- Candlelight Concert at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum — Head ten minutes north to Lowry after eating your way across the lot for a string quartet concert staged beneath historic aircraft.
- Chamberlin Observatory (Denver Astronomical Society Public Nights) — Drive fifteen minutes west into Denver after dinner to look through a 120-year-old refractor telescope on public open nights.
- 88 Drive-In Theatre — Follow up your open-air night market visit with a late-night outdoor double feature at the metro area's last surviving original drive-in.
Good to know
When does the market take place?
It runs on the last Saturday of the month from May through September (for 2026: May 30, June 27, July 25, August 29, and September 26) between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Is there an entry fee or ticket required?
No, admission to the night market is completely free and open to the public; you just pay the vendors directly for food and goods.
Where should I park for the event?
On-site parking at 2710 S Havana St is swallowed up by the market itself; park across Yale Avenue in neighboring shopping center lots or near Babi Yar Park and take the brief walk over.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Westword · visitaurora.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-07