12th Annual Autumn Moon Festival

After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake hurt the San Francisco Bay Area economy, the Chinatown Merchants Association was established in 1991 to bring attention back to Chinatown as a great place to visit. Having the Autumn Moon Festival was a way to bring back visitors and attract new ones to Chinatown.

The Moon Festival showcases the community's many cultural assets. The festival is held around the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, when the moon is full and at its brightest. The date coincides closely with the autumn equinox of the Western calendar. This time also marks the end of the summer harvest. As a result, the festival has long been an occasion to give thanks for the bounty of the land. At the Moon Festival, you will see a lot of food including bubble tea drinks, moon cakes, tea sampling, and dim sum demonstrations. In this respect, the Autumn Moon Festival has similarities with Thanksgiving.

The Chinatown Merchants Association presents the 12th Annual Autumn Moon Festival September 14-15, 2002 in San Francisco Chinatown. Live entertainment, arts and crafts, food and drink, and parades will mark the Autumn Moon Festival celebrations along historic Grant Avenue from 11am to 6pm.

This year, the Moon Festival will recognize the one year anniversary of September 11th with a commemorative parade down Grant Avenue led by Mayor Willie Brown and representatives from the San Francisco's police and fire departments. The parade will proceed from California and Grant with groups of costumed children and artisans holding American flags along with giant puppets, lion dancers, ribbon dancers, and marching bands. This opening parade for the Moon Festival will end at the main stage on Washington street, where performers from various Pacific Rim countries will offer nonstop entertainment. Polynesian dancers, acrobats and martial artists will among the many featured artists.

"A Year of Reflection" is the Autumn Moon Festival's theme this year. In keeping with this theme, a "Feng Shui Village of Peace and Harmony" will be created along Commercial Alley. Traditional healing arts of Asia such as tai chi, chi gong, acupuncture, calligraphy, massage, and feng shui will be showcased there.

Schedule subject to change without notice.