Mooncakes, magic, and the Jade Rabbit on the moon! Join us for an afternoon of storytelling, drop-in arts & crafts, mooncake making, and more on Saturday, September 30th from 2 – 5 PM.
Tickets: Free, but RSVP is highly recommended. Festival capacity is limited, walk-ins will be admitted as capacity allows. Scroll down to reserve your ticket!
If your plans have changed and you are no longer able to attend the event, please cancel your reservation to ensure adequate space for others. RSVP does not guarantee entry.
Due to the limited capacity of the museum and efforts to adhere to safety guidelines, families may have to wait to enter the museum during peak times.
EVENT SCHEDULE
DROP-IN ARTS & CRAFTS, 2 PM – 5 PM
Everlasting Elixirs
Prepare your own version of the magical elixir that lifted Chang’E from the earth to the moon! Grind salt and colorful chalk to create sparkling, colorful sand. Then, use it to fill a potion bottle and stir up some Mid-Autumn magic.
Light, Bright Lanterns
Lanterns are lit and carried to celebrate the brightness of the moon during this time of year. Make the night even brighter by making and embellishing your very own Jade-Rabbit inspired lantern!
Magnificent Moon Thaumatropes
Thaumatropes are an early form of animation. Amaze your family and friends with this handmade toy inspired by your favorite moon festival folktales and the phases of the moon.
Autumn Leaves with Teaching Artist Yu Rong
PERFORMANCES, WORKSHOPS & ACTIVITIES
Munching on Mooncakes: Mooncake Making & Tasting Stations* | 2:30 – 4:30 PM
Sharing mooncakes with friends and family is a beloved Mid-Autumn tradition. Join pastry chef Rebecca Li (@rebeshouse) as she walks us through the multi-layer process of making these sweet and savory treats. Discover the ingredients inside mooncakes and the tools used to make them. Practice using a mooncake mold and take home a mooncake that’s ready to bake. Afterwards, try delectable slices of traditional mooncakes courtesy of Fay Da Bakery.
*While supplies last!
Chinese Theatre Works Presents: Hao Bang Ah, Rabbit! 好棒啊，兔子！| 3:00 PM
“Hao Bang Ah!” is a common Chinese expression meaning “Great!” or “Well done!” Each year, Chinese Theatre Works celebrates with an original “budaixi” traditional Chinese glove-puppetry production that features animals of the Chinese Zodiac. This year’s show stars the Rabbit, who presides over a jolly selection of wild puppet skits, dances, popular songs, and well-known Chinese sayings that celebrate the wit and wisdom of the zodiac animals. Special guests include the Jade Rabbit on the Moon!
Make-Believe Mooncakes with Culture Tatertots
Get ready for tradition, creativity, and fun! Join Gwen from Culture Tatertots as you make your own playdough mooncake using a real mooncake mold! Mooncake play kits will be available for sale on-site the day of the festival. 15% of all sales will be donated to MOCA!
About Culture Tatertots
After becoming a first-time mom, Gwen discovered her newfound passion, which is passing on traditions and culture down to her kids. She started Culture Tatertots on Instagram in hopes to help educate other parents on Chinese culture and heritage. Since then she’s published a children’s book, “A Monster Named Nian”, and created kids activity kits to celebrate the Chinese culture.
Harvest Moon Picnic
The full harvest moon symbolizes family reunion and coming together. Gather around the blanket for a make-believe harvest moon picnic! Learn about the foods that families share as they gaze at the moon and give thanks for the year’s harvest.
Shoot for the Moon Scavenger Hunt
Join a MOCA educator in following clues high and low to spot twinkling full moons and shimmering stars around the gallery. Will you find them all?
MOCAKIDS Storytime: The Best Kind of Mooncake
Get ready for mooncakes and more! What stories will the moon star in this year? Find out as a MOCA educator shares a retelling of the classic legend of moon goddess Chang’E and impressive archer Hou Yi, followed by a reading of The Best Kind of Mooncake by Pearl AuYeung.
Copies of The Best Kind of Mooncake will be available for purchase!
About the Book
Small acts of kindness, like sharing your special mooncake, can make a big difference!
Once upon a morning in Hong Kong, in the alley of Tai Yuen Street, a girl is promised a mooncake with a double-yolk center―the best kind! The special mooncake seems like the only excitement on an otherwise boring day in the market where nothing changes… until an exhausted stranger falls to his knees right in the street! He ran through forests, swam through rivers, and even stowed away on a ship, all to get to Hong Kong. Now at the end of his journey, all he needs is a bite to eat, but no one seems willing to help―not even the girl, if it means giving up her prized treat.
About the Author & Illustrator
Pearl AuYeung was born in Hong Kong, raised in Singapore, and now lives in California. Childhood visits to her grandma and uncle’s pajama hawker stall on the delightfully crowded Tai Yuen Street inspired Pearl to tell this story in her debut picture book. Passionate about food and the past, she enjoys cooking and researching the histories of food and surnames.
