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The Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival is an annual celebration in San Francisco. This year it will be celebrated on September 27 and 28 and the festival will run from 11 am to 5 pm on both days.
The China Autumn Moon Festival has been celebrated for 3,000 years. It grew out of the custom of worshiping the moon in autumn to thank it for the harvest.
Today, people mainly celebrate the Autumn Moon Festival as a time for family reunions. It is said the moon that night is at its brightest and the roundest, which has come to mean family reunions. This festival has been compared to the American Thanksgiving.
This celebration began in San Francisco in 1989 after the devastating earthquake. It revitalized the Chinese community and has become an annual event.
The festival will be on Grant Avenue, between California Street and Broadway. You’ll find Arts & Crafts vendors, live music, Chinese food stalls, local contemporary entertainment and more. Admission to the festival is free.
You’ll also find mooncakes. A mooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festivals. Mooncakes are golden brown cakes with a thin and soft outer skin that wraps around a sweet or savory filling and one or maybe two egg yolks. They generally have intricate designs on the top of the cake. There are many different varieties.
Each year, the celebration begins with a parade down Grant Avenue. The parade will be led by Mayor Daniel Lurie. It starts at California Street and ends near Washington Street. You’ll see marchers in traditional costumes, lion dancers and ribbon dancers. Marching bands will pass in front of you as will giant puppets and colorful floats.
The main stage is at Grant Avenue and Washington Street and will have live performances throughout the festival. The Yau Kung Moon Association will present a lion dance and a martial arts performance. Enjoy dancers, acrobats, martial artists and much more.
There will be lots of fun along Grant Avenue. More than 200 arts & crafts booths will be there with unique items for purchase. Food stands will line Grant Avenue as well so you can enjoy Chinese dishes and treats. Some of the restaurants will have open air seating, so you can watch the festivities while you enjoy your meal. Strolling performers will be entertaining the crowds.
The Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival will close with a small White Crane Dragon Parade along Grant Avenue, in the heart of Chinatown.
Chinese Cuisine
If you enjoyed the Chinese food at the festival and want to learn more about Chinese cooking, try these cookbooks. And use our links to see how you can save money on them.
- The Everything Chinese Cookbook by Rhonda Laurel Parkinson
- The Healthy Wok Chinese Cookbook
- The Complete Chinese Cookbook
San Francisco Hotels Near Chinatown
If you’d like to visit San Francisco for the festival, you should consider these hotels. They are all offering discounted rates which can save you money on your stay.
If you’re going to be flying to San Francisco, find out how to save money on your flight here.
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