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 14th from 2 – 5 PM.

Tickets: Click here for tickets! Pay-what-you-wish, kids under 2 free. RSVP required. Limited free tickets for Culture Pass, Cool Culture, and Culture Connected families. 

Festival capacity is limited, walk-ins will be admitted as capacity allows. Check back shortly for full event schedule!

Click here for tickets

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. 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

Performances, Workshops & Activities

TIMBER! Wu Gang Wood Cutting Challenge | 2 – 5 PM
Chinese legend says that a Man on the Moon is trying to cut down a tree that magically regrows after each ax stroke. Test your aim and your tree-cutting skills with a MOCA original game… Can you succeed where Wu Gang couldn’t? 

Harvest Moon Picnic | 2 – 5 PM
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.

Mid-Autumn Photo Corner | 2 – 5 PM
Soak up the limelight (or moonlight!) at our Mid-Autumn photo corner. Strike a pose with moon Goddess Chang’E, skilled archer Hou Yi, 玉兔 Yùtù the Jade Rabbit, and special moon themed props. Don’t forget to add a secret wish for Chang E’ to grant

Chinese Theatre Works Presents: Tiger Tales Shadow Puppet Performance | 2:30 PM* 
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, shadow puppetry is especially popular because the full moon acts as an enchanting 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. *Space is limited.

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 MOCA’s friends Judy Gao and Xiaoyan Lu as they show us how to make special snow-skin mooncakes. Discover the ingredients inside mooncakes and the molds used to make them. Afterwards, try delectable slices of traditional mooncakes courtesy of Po Wing Hong Food Market and Fay Da Bakery, paired with flavorful tea from Harney & Sons. **While supplies last!

Shoot for the Moon Scavenger Hunt | Meets in the Lobby
Join a MOCA educator in following clues high and low to spot twinkling full moons and shimmering stars in the museum exhibits! Practice your archery like Hou Yi to protect the galleries!

MOCAKIDS Storytime: To the Moon and Back! | Under the Lion
Did you know that a goddess, rabbit, and woodcutter all live on the moon? Discover how they got there and more, as you listen to retellings of timeless Mid-Autumn Moon Festival myths.

MOCAKIDS Meet & Greet with Panda Cub Stories | 4 PM, Storytime under the Lion
Linda is a Sichuanese American writer/illustrator and the creator of @pandacubstories. She draws comics to document what she’s learning: be it Chinese culture, cooking her favorite foods, or living with ADHD. Her latest project is a deck of her family’s Sichuanese recipes …but in COMIC FORM. Learn more about it here!

At 4 PM, join Linda for a new take on an old classic, the legend of Moon Goddess Chang’E. Stop by Linda’s table before the storytime for a special coloring page and to check out her amazing family recipe cards.

Harvest Moon Melodies with New York Chinese Cultural Center | 4:30 PM**
Feel the mood of the harvest moon with an erhu 二胡 performance by acclaimed musician Danting Qiao from the New York Chinese Cultural Center. Immerse yourself in traditional Chinese music about the moon and togetherness as we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival! **Space is limited.

Drop-In Arts & Crafts, 2- 5 PM

Mooncake Messages with Teaching Artist Yu Rong
Mooncakes are delicious… and revolutionary! During the Yuan Dynasty, they were used to pass secret messages, which helped overthrow the Mongolian empire in China. Using our homemade invisible ink, write and decode your very own secret messages and riddles. 

Glimmer, Sparkle, Twinkle! Cosmic Mobiles 
Celebrate the Mid Autumn Moon by creating mixed-media mobiles with shining moons and twinkling stars. Hang your mobile up at home and enjoy your very own glittering nightscape!

Lunar Levitations
Using paper, tape, and a bit of magic, create a floating Mid-Autumn moon to celebrate the year’s biggest, brightest moon.

Make-Believe Mooncakes
Ever wonder how mooncakes get their fancy designs? Find out, then test your favorites using real mooncake molds and play dough!

Spectacular Shadow Stories
Construct and decorate shadow puppets of the Jade Rabbit and Moon Goddess Chang’E, using acetate, paper fasteners, markers, and more! When you finish your creation, head to MOCA’s shadow puppet theater to stage an original performance!

MOCA’s Family Festival Series is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Mooncakes will be generously donated by Po Wing Hong Food Market and Fay Da Bakery.