Coming to a device near you the next two weekends is the Shilin Market. Yup, the sophomore edition of the massive market, now known as Digital Shilin, will be happening online on June 12-14 and 19-21, with close to 100 stalls taking part.

Shilin Night Market, inspired by the famed Taiwanese market, made its debut here last year, drawing large crowds to the far-flung Grounds@Kranji. It was slated to make a return this year, but, well, we all know what happened. So the organisers turned it into an online festival instead. Of course, it’s not quite the same as the real thing (no need to jostle with the sweaty crowds), but there’s still a lot going on with close to 100 local and regional vendors selling food, beverages and lifestyle products. On top of that, organisers are introducing new features such as livestreaming performances by budding artists, live cooking and workout sessions, and online giveaways at Digital Shilin.

So if you’re thinking it’s just a fancy version of a bunch of food deliveries, you’re right and wrong. Yes, Digital Shilin will have an array of food for you to order, but it also has three other digital zones — Shop, Play and Fun— to re-create those festival feels at home. Here’s a peek at what to expect over the two weekends.

Of course everyone goes to Shilin Market with food at the top of their minds. This year’s F&B vendors will hawk an array of Taiwanese faves, local dishes as well as on-trend fusion food, with some menu items exclusive to Digital Shilin. You may want to save stomach space for luxe truffle lu rou fan (braised pork rice) from D’bun, spicy mala chicken sandwiches from Egg Stop or comforting Taiwanese pastries from Chia Te Bakery.

There’s a minimum order of $20 for F&B orders. According to organisers, the aim is to deliver food within a two-hour time frame within an 8km radius. Delivery will be fulfilled by Pickupp and charges are not fixed across the board — some vendors have opted for islandwide delivery while others, such as ice cream vendors, have chosen location-based delivery.

A lot. Also on the line-up are lifestyle stalls by local and regional vendors hawking handcrafted artisanal goods, as well as real-time auction-style livestreams that are all the rage now. Retail orders will be delivered in one to three days — in other words, order on the first weekend and you’ll get it in time before the second weekend’s festivities.

And to inject some of that festival atmosphere into your home, there’ll be livestreams of performances by the likes of local duo The Freshman, Taiwanese singer Caryson Huang, and even a workout session by Jaime Teo. Shimmy over (virtually) to the Play zone for a chance to win prizes and vouchers by taking part in digital games, or just take part in social media challenges for fun.

Digital Shilin Singapore is happening June 12-14 at 12-11pm (except on June 12, which happens 3-11pm). More info at www.shilin.sg.
Photos: Shilin Singapore