Patch Blog: Moon Festival Offers Music, Food, Storytelling & More

This in South Pasadena features favorite treats, entertainment, and contests. Taking place in the Library Park outside the Community Room at 1115 El Centro Street, the 2011 Moon Festival will start on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 11:00 am and run until 3:00 pm. The event is co-sponsored by the South Pasadena Chinese-American Club (SPCC) and the South Pasadena Public Library.

SPCC President Jessica Yee said, “The Moon Festival is an event that brings together all segments of the community to celebrate this traditional Asian holiday. It provides an opportunity for the entire community to learn about our rich cultural history and customs.”

Click here for a schedule of events.

The Dumpling Station will be stationed at the site, and a Chinese lunch with Boba drinks will also be available for a reasonable price. Entertainment begins at 11:00 am, starting with well-known story teller Barbara Wong, who will tell the legend of the Moon Festival, followed by Jason Jiang, popular Chinese acrobat performer. Drawings will be held through the day for prizes and gift certificates. After lunch, participants will be invited to sign up for the “fear factor” contest, where teams compete to see who can eat such Chinese “delicacies” such as odiferous durian, pork intestines, 1,000-year-old eggs,  and bitter melon in record time. Next, participants will be asked to test their noodle-eating skills, with prizes awarded to the team that is quickest to consume bowls of plain, cooked noodles.

South Pasadena’s renowned Line Dance group then performs, led by SPCC Board Member Chow Chow Zee. At approximately 2:00 pm, all are invited to demonstrate their chopsticks skills by transporting batteries and coins from one table to another. To end the day, performers from the San Gabriel Valley Chinese Cultural Association will perform their raucous, energetic, and jubilant Lion Dance. 

In between entertainment, participants can enjoy games and crafts, including calligraphy, face painting, wishing well, “dough doll” making, and mah jong. Vendors will be offering Chinese-style fashion accessories, a photo opportunity, and a mystery box booth. New books will be available for purchase from San Marino Toy and Books, and used books will be available at bargain prices from a collection of Chinese and Korean books from the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library.

Admission is free, and tickets can be purchased for food, drinks, drawings, and some activities. The pre-event discount ($8 for $10 worth of tickets) is available by contacting SPCC at info@spcc-web.org. Tickets can also be purchased the day of the event. For more information, contact President Jessica Yee at 626-200-5486.