Kaito's Corner: The Chamorro Village Night Market
Kaito Nishimura is a native Japanese speaker studying at UOG while familiarizing himself with different aspects of life in Guam. In this series, Kaito writes about his adventures learning about the people and traditions that make our island unique.
Of the many activities that Guam has to offer, one of the most iconic has to be the Chamorro Village Night Market in Hagåtña.
The Chamorro Village began during the early 60’s and 70’s as the Guam Farmers Market as a space for farmers to sell their produce and livestock. At the time, the grounds contained only temporary structures which were destroyed during several typhoons in the latter half of the century. This spurred local leaders to construct a more permanent facility in which the initial phase of construction was completed in 1994, of which most of the buildings stand today.
Chamorro Village Today
I visited the Chamorro village and paused for a few seconds while trying to make my way through the crowd of people. It was great to see people laughing, eating and having a good time. But the number of visitors and the locals is what surprised me.
I hadn't been there to visit in a long time, and my last visit was after the pandemic, so there was a big gap in my memory.
There was a lot of noise around the festival, but I didn’t dislike the noise because that was the typical sound of the festivals that had returned. There are now more attractions than a few years ago, such as rock climbing, a race track, and riding a small train to travel around the Chamorro village. These all seem to be catered to younger visitors.
I spoke with a few local attendees to find out which vendors and stands they prefer:
Jamaican Grill
Jamaican Grill offers a unique fusion of island flavors from Jamaica, Guam and the Philippines. Joshua Galsim, a freshman at UOG, likes the food and enjoys dining at the Jamaican Grill with his family, which is located in Chamorro Village.
"My family sometimes go there to eat and I like the barbecue ribs and chicken with the red rice at the Jamaican Grill," said Galsim.
Kris B.B.Q
The Wednesday Night Market attracts many visitors. It is no surprise that vendors will have a line of people waiting to order food. Out of all the vendors, Kris B.B.Q stood out the most owing to its popularity among visitors and locals alike.
Their range of local fiesta plates on offer was impressive and seemed to be a major draw for the customers. There was a long line of people waiting patiently to get their hands on the delicious food being served at Kris B.B.Q.
Steve Oku visits Chamorro Village every week because he likes the festival's atmosphere. He even likes that it is easy to buy a variety of Chamorro foods from various vendors.
“From the various vendors at Chamorro village, I especially like the Kris BBQ because the taste of BBQ sauce is perfectly mixed. Going to Chamorro village and eating the barbeque is my Wednesday routine,” Oku said.
The Carabao Ride
In Chamorro Village, you can ride a carabao for $3 per ride. Due to their mild-mannered nature, the ride is a slow one, even with people on their backs!
This attraction has become a classic in Chamorro Village night market, especially for children. The carabao ride event has been taking place since 1994, over 30 years ago.
John Raymond Naputi Aguon, the owner of the carabao, explains that the carabao ride is an entertaining way to expose people to Guam culture.
"The carabao was brought to Guam from the Philippines in the 1600s and was mostly used for plowing the fields and was also an important food source," Aguon said. "It was the largest animal on the island and is now an icon of the CHamoru culture. I am just helping to expose this culture."
Aguon also explained why carabaos were preferred over horses by the people of Guam.
"The carabao is acclimated to the tropical setting of the island, while the horse is not quite suited to it due to immunity reasons,” Aguon said.