Mid-Autumn Family Festival

Mooncakes, lanterns, and sweet reunions abound at MOCA's Mid-Autumn (中秋节) Family Festival! Join us for crafts, shadow puppets, music, games, and more as we come together to celebrate this traditional holiday. Two sessions! Get your tickets for either the morning (10 AM - 1 PM) or afternoon (2 PM - 5 PM). Check back shortly for the full event schedule! Tickets: $10/person. Kids 5 and under and MOCA Family Members free. Free tickets for kids 5 and under available as an add-on option to your ticket purchase. MOCA Family Members, please use your code to access free tickets. Limited free tickets for Culture Pass and Cool Culture families. Sign up through the Culture Pass website or contact Cool Culture for your access code. Tickets may be purchased at the door on the day of the event, starting at 10:30 AM for the morning session and 2:30 PM for the afternoon session, if capacity allows. The Museum of Chinese in America is committed to making public programs accessible to the general public regardless of economic background. If the ticket price is preventing you from attending the event, please contact us. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS! Know Before You Go Family Festivals are bustling events with lots of sights, sounds, and aromas. There is limited stroller parking available, with a staff-operated lift used to reach the restrooms and lower level spaces. We recommend families with sensory concerns join our MOCACREATE events to celebrate the holiday. 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. FESTIVAL SCHEDULE Performances, Workshops & Activities Moonlit Melodies with Musician Wei Sun* Join musician Wei Sun in learning about one of the world's oldest string instruments, the guzheng (古筝). Enjoy a live performance inspired by the beauty of the season’s harvest moon. About Wei Sun Wei Sun is an acclaimed guzheng artist from China who was born into a family of musicians and started her guzheng journey at the age of 6. She is a certified senior teacher of guzheng, a member of the China National Instrumental Association and the International Guzheng Association. In 2016, she came to the United States as a guzheng performer and teacher at the CBA Cultural and Arts Center. Chinese Theatre Works Presents Tiger Tales Shadow Puppet Performance* During the Mid-Autumn Festival, shadow puppetry is especially popular because the full moon acts as a natural light source for performances. Join Chinese Theatre Works as they bring to life an enchanting tale where a wise old rabbit recounts stories from her eventful life to her young granddaughter– including how she came to be the Prime Minister to Tiger, the ever-hungry jungle king. All ages. About Chinese Theatre Works Chinese Theatre Works (CTW) has a long history of bringing traditional and innovative, contemporary Chinese performing arts to local New York City, national and international audiences. The company has won the highest honor in U.S. puppetry, a Citation of Excellence from UNIMA-USA, for their show Toy Theater Peony Pavilion. They have also been featured at festivals and conferences across the world from Puppet Power in Calgary, Canada and the Seattle International Children’s Theatre Festival to the DALA Festival (Seoul, South Korea) and the Taipei Children’s Theater Association’s Festival (Taiwan). MOCAKIDS Author Meet & Greet with Michele Wong McSween Be among the first to celebrate the newest Gordon & Li Li bilingual book , Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival ! Join author Michele Wong McSween for an interactive bilingual adventure featuring storytelling, a fun introduction to Mandarin, and hands-on activities. Children and families will discover the legendary story of Hou Yi, Cháng'é, and the Jade Rabbit while exploring the traditions, special foods, and joy of celebrating under the bright full moon. Books and plushies will be available for purchase, and a book signing with Michele will follow the reading. Best for families with children ages 3-8. Younger and older siblings welcome! About Michele Wong McSween Michele Wong McSween, a former fashion designer, mom, and author of Gordon & Li Li, began a journey to reconnect with her Chinese heritage as a fourth-generation Chinese-American. Inspired by her children, Michele enrolled them in Mandarin classes to foster a sense of cultural identity. While seeking simple and engaging Mandarin learning materials for non-Chinese speaking families, she discovered a lack of resources and was inspired to fill that gap. This led her to create Gordon & Li Li, a bilingual book series that makes learning Mandarin approachable and fun. Michele is deeply committed to representing multicultural families and fostering a connection to Chinese culture through language. Snowy Skin Mooncake Making with Auntie Lin** Sharing mooncakes with friends and family is a beloved Mid-Autumn tradition. Join Auntie Lin as she shows us how to make special snowy…