The seventh annual Moon Festival took over Aurora’s Pacifica Square shopping center on Sept. 19, inviting the community to celebrate Asian culture in a unique way.
Festival origins
Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, the event originated in Asia, where it’s one of the most widely observed holidays, Pacifica Square said in a press release.
It takes place on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, when the fullest moon of the year is said to be visible.
The tradition is typically celebrated with mooncakes and lanterns, and centers around family reunion.
Competitors in the Moon Festival’s ramen-eating contest wait to dig in to their bowls on Sept. 19. Courtesy: Rudy Alceda
A full day of festivities
This year’s event featured cultural performances, food vendors, a cosplay contest, martial arts demonstrations, and a ramen-eating competition with a $500 cash prize.
Organizers said the festival was a great showing of community spirit and support.
“What makes the Moon Festival special to us is seeing families, friends, local businesses, performers, and community members all come together to celebrate,” said Judy Ni, Director of Real Estate at Windfall Group. “Even with the rain, people continued to show up and support the festival, which meant so much to us. We’re grateful to everyone who came out, participated, volunteered, performed, and helped make this year’s celebration such a success.”
Pacifica Square started the festival in 2020 and say the event typically draws more than 1,500 attendees each year since.
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