Celebrate Autumn Moon Festival in San Francisco’s Chinatown
August 22, 2009 by Mary Jo Manzanares
Filed under Fall, Home & Living
Visitors to San Francisco’s Chinatown next month will have the opportunity to enjoy the 19th Annual Autumn Moon Festival. Moon Festival celebrations are not yet commonplace in the US, although they’ve been held in Asia for over a thousand years. The festival is a changing of season event, a time to give thanks for a plentiful summer harvest, and the changing of the moon and the seasons. Often equated to a sort of “Chinese Thanksgiving,” it’s a way to mark the passing of one season to the next, and to give thanks for the abundance of life.
Moon Cakes
Of course, just like the US Thanksgiving, it’s full of lots of food! Moon cakes are one of the most popular treats during the festival. They are a round semi-sweet pastry, filled with all sorts of goodies from savory to sweet, and they sort of resemble the moon. You may find yourself waiting in very long lines to buy moon cakes, but they’re worth the effort.
San Francisco’s Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival will be held the weekend of September 19 – 20th, 2009, 11 am – 6 pm daily. During the Moon Festival, Grant Avenue in Chinatown will be closed to automobile traffic, and the street will turn into a big bazaar, full of shopping, entertainment, arts and crafts, activities, lots of food, and teeming with life. There is no charge to visit the festival, and if you’ll be in town, it’s a fabulous cultural experience.
Some other related Moon Festival events include:
Moon Festival Photo Contest – As a way to encourage people to take lots of photos, this amateur only contest is simple to enter. Fill out a Moon Festival photo contest registration form, and snap away. Top prize is $500. More details are available from the Chinatown Photographic Society.
Autumn Moon Film Festival – A new feature this year, the mini film festival will be held at the Four Seas Restaurant (731 Grant Avenue), both days. Check out the viewing schedule and see if there’s something that interests you. It’s a great opportunity for film buffs, and also a nice break in an otherwise busy festival day.
Follow the Moon Festival on Twitter @SFCMA.
Photo credit: miss karen @flickr
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