Every Winter, the highlight of the season arrives in Pelican Town for 3 nights. The Night Market has many different attractions and carts to lure you in every year, for it is not like any other seasonal festival. While most players go straight to the Fishing Submarine, many tend to forget about the magnificent mermaid show and its beautiful song. But what is so important about that? Well, just like with many things in Stardew Valley, the show has its secrets. Not only is it a fun first-time watch, but there is a hidden way to earn a pearl, one of the rarest items in the game that can be traded for a special item and sold for a high price.
What is the Night Market?
The Night Market festival arrives at the beach of Pelican town from the 15th-17th of every Winter. It opens from 5pm-2am, but the submarine ride closes at 11pm and the mermaid boat at 12:30am.
One of the biggest draws to the Night Market is having a bunch of different merchants come together all at once, with their stocks randomizing after each day. One of the boats is the Traveling Merchant! Just like usual, the stock rotates. If you are in Multiplayer, she will sell the recipe for a wedding ring to marry another player, so keep an eye out for it! There is also the decoration boat who sells, well, decorative items for your farm and house. including seasonal decor like candy canes. Then similar to the Traveling Cart, there is the Magic Shop boat, which works basically the same but it sells certain items such as a grave stone, log section and even seeds not yet in-season at Pierre’s general store like garlic and artichoke!
Other than the various boats, there are also several people that offer certain things such as the famous painter Lupini, who sells a different painting each day depending on the game year. It is the only place to buy these paintings so get to collecting! Then there is the desert trader but instead of having their own cart, they will give you a free cup of coffee each day. You can use this free coffee to quickly boost your speed for a full minute. Finally, there is the shrouded figure in front of Willy’s shop, who will let you use a warp totem to your farm for just small fee of 250g!
Now most players will either end up going to the submarine after checking out all of the merchants or go to the Night Market just for the sub, and for good reason! Obviously this submarine doesn’t take you on a simple boat ride. For 1,000g to the Captain, the sub will descend underwater for about 30 in-game minutes until a metal trapdoor opens, allowing for some fun deep sea fishing! Here can three unique fish be caught for good profit: the blobfish, spook fish and the midnight squid. It is also possible to catch the super cucumber and even another chance to get the rare pearl!
The final attraction is the Mermaid Show to the far right of the docks. You follow a series of boats and makeshift walkways made out of boards to get to the mermaid’s boat. Once you enter, you are surprised with a show.
The Mermaid Show and its Secrets
After you enter the boat you will see a small stage with clamshells at the bottom of it. The curtains will part to show a mermaid, who will begin to sing a siren’s song that even comes with a very colorful cutscene to watch and enjoy. No ticket or price tag is required!
But how do you get the rare secret pearl that people keep talking about? Well, there is actually a secret note that reveals how in a very subtle way. If you find Secret Note #15 (which you can find in several ways such as tilling artifact spots, fishing, mining, etc.), it will simply read “Mermaid Show” with the code 1-5-4-2-3. This is the mermaid show code, which tells you the order of which you interact with the clamshells. Each clamshell will make a certain music note sound, so the order will make a small song. If you touch each shell in the order of the code, you will be rewarded by the mermaid with a free pearl! Super easy right?
(Keep in Mind: You can only retrieve the pearl from the Mermaid Show once per save file, and only one player per multiplayer game!)
What Can I Use the Pearl For?
So now you have your super rare pearl…now what? Well, there aren’t too many uses for it, so typically players just sell it for 2,500g. While a decent price tag, you can also use it to trade with the Desert Trader in Calico Desert for a pretty Birch Double Bed for your house. You can also use it to tailor a beautiful bridal veil to wear using Emily’s sewing machine. This is good if you want to use it when marrying one of the bachelors or bachelorettes, especially when worn with a shirt and long skirt to look like you’re wearing a dress!
(Fun Fact: Pearls are known as a universally loved gift, so if you don’t need the money, use it for friendship points!)
Can I Find a Pearl Anywhere Else?
The Mermaid Show isn’t the only way to get the pearl, though it is one of the easiest ways. There are a few other ways to earn a pearl, especially after the 1.5 update. Here are all of the ways along with their percentage chance.
- 0.4% chance to catch a pearl while fishing in the submarine ride
- 0.9% chance of using the Curiosity Lure
- 1.7% – 1.9% chance to earn a pearl from a blobfish fish pond after reaching population level 9
- 3.7% chance to earn a pearl from an artifact trove
- Earn a pearl after solving Journal Scrap #6 on Ginger Island
- Earn a pearl from Willy after filling a fish pond with 10 crabs
- After activating the Shrine of Challenge or Danger in the Deep quest, it is possible to find a pearl while foraging in Pelican Town’s mines
