The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, a tradition with roots in China dating back approximately 3,000 years, is being observed across the Bay Area this year. The holiday, also known as the Mooncake Festival, centers on the harvest season, the full moon, and family reunions. Local organizations have scheduled ten separate events between September 19 and September 27 to celebrate the occasion.
In Pleasanton, Pacific Pearl is hosting a free event on September 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. at 2693-2733 Stoneridge Drive. The program includes a lion dance, martial arts demonstrations, face painting, balloon art, and crafts for families.
Other Bay Area locations offer varied programming. The Millbrae Mid-Autumn Festival runs September 19 and 20, featuring street food, lion and dragon dances, and arts and crafts. San Francisco’s Chinatown hosts an Autumn Moon Festival on the same dates, which includes a K-Pop dance contest, a dumpling-eating contest, and a dragon parade.
The San Jose Museum of Art focuses on the Vietnamese Tet Trung Thu tradition on September 19, offering calligraphy and sculpture activities for children.
Los Altos History Museum holds its festival on September 20, featuring archery, beanbag tossing, and a 3D sugar art printer. Admission is $10, with free entry for museum members, children 12 and under, and seniors 65 and up. In Oakland, the Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce hosts a free event on September 20 in Little Saigon, showcasing small business vendors and cultural games.
