September has come upon us, which can mean only one thing – it’s time to whip out your dusty telescopes and ogle at the moon while the smell of mooncakes fills the air. That’s right, it’s Mid-Autumn Festival season.
Aside from the usual festivities, like attending fairs, this year promises a wide variety of Mid-Autumn Festival Events to attend. Here’s a list of the top picks for you to visit with your family and friends.
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Before you proceed to stuff yourself with delicious mooncakes, it’s important to recognise the significance behind this festival we all so dearly love and look forward to. As one of the most celebrated Chinese festivals, it is said that there are 3 main pillars that define this festival – gathering, giving thanks, and praying.
In this season, families and relatives gather together under the light of the full moon when it is at its brightest and roundest – a symbol of harmony and unity. While in history, gratitude was usually for the plentiful harvest, family and relations were also things to be incredibly thankful for. This appreciation is expressed through the exchange of mooncakes whose roundness indicates completeness and reunion amongst loved ones.
Prayers are also carried out to hope for a good future or any other aspect of your life that needs intervention. Moon worship is a practice where offerings are made to Chang’e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
Image credit: Defence Collective Singapore
Singapore Discovery Centre’s Moon-Lit! Festival has once again arrived with a plethora of fun activities for families to attend. As the name suggests, these activities are pretty darn lit. Their Mid-Autumn Action Bingo will have a self-guided trail where guests venture into a trail while learning more about the symbols of the festival and attempting to complete their bingo card to redeem their gift.
Another exciting activity is the Moon Cycle (Drop-in craft) where kiddos can make their own moon wheels while learning about the different phases of the moon cycle. After learning about the significance of the moon, head on over to the Chang’e meet & greet to snap photos with the goddess of the moon and yap about your newfound knowledge.
Their lantern-making workshop is another exciting event that will have a trainer available for professional help, especially for those who got a C in Art – it’s okay, we’ve all been there.
There will also be tons of stage and booth activities, including performances, tabletop games, solving riddles, and watching a tea demonstration.
Admission: Free
Venue: 510 Upper Jurong Road, Singapore 638365
Dates: 31st August 2024-8th September 2024
Time: Various timings, check website for details
Contact: Defense Collective Singapore website
Gateway Kids Club is a fun initiative by Gateway Theatre that hosts storytelling sessions that are interactive, while tapping into your child’s imagination. This month, they have introduced their Full Moon theme which will showcase legends and folktales related to the Mid-Autumn festival. These would also be fun to attend as a parent as you and your child explore themes centred around the love and joy of family.
Some highlights of this theme include:
After the session, kids can also partake in the arts & crafts sessions or free play activities.
Admission: Free
Venue: 3615 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 159461
Dates: 7th-28th September 2024
Time: Various timings, check website for details
Contact: Gateway Theatre website
Spread over 2 months, Chinatown will be hosting its annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Their Festive Fair will have streets adorned with food stalls serving mooncakes and traditional tea in the open space in front of People’s Park Complex.
Their iconic street light-up is their annual sightseeing event where streets are lit up with beautiful and massive structures celebrating Chinese culture. Over certain weekends, there will also be stage performances by artists showcasing their talents.
To celebrate good fortune, familial unity, and prosperity, Chinatown will also be hosting their mass lantern walk. The starting point is Chinatown Point and the endpoint is Kreta Ayer Square. Get your daily step count goal achieved, while spending some quality time with your family and belting out the lyrics to I see the light from Tangled.
Admission: Free
Venue: 21 Banda Street, Singapore 050005
Dates: 19th August 2024-2nd October 2024
Time: Various timings, check website for details
Contact: Chinatown Festivals website
In addition to being one of the most touristic locations in Singapore, Gardens by the Bay is also becoming host to Mid-Autumn celebrations in 2024. In fact, local art illustrator, Mr Lee Kow Fong, has designed an exclusive Lantern set that is inspired by the rising moon and water elements of the Dragonfly Lake.
Explore the beautifully lit gardens through their Lantern Walk where you can redeem a free lantern on a first-come-first-served basis.
Once you’ve completed the lantern walk, head on over to the workshops that have exciting activities for you and your family to conquer. Some highlights include parent-child lantern craft making, Chinese tea art appreciation, and guzheng performances.
Performers will also be performing against the Dragon Playground lantern display at Supertree Grove. Some exciting acts include yIN Harmony, Reverberance, and ZingO.
Admission: Free
Venue: Dragonfly Lake, The Meadow, Golden Garden & Supertree Grove
Dates: 4th – 22nd September 2024
Time: 6pm-10pm
Contact: Gardens by the Bay website
Image credit: NParks via Facebook
Much like last year, Jurong Lake Gardens will be lit up beautifully with a display showcasing the biodiversity of gardens. Head on over with your friends and family and bask in the light display, while shamelessly posing for pics.
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival in style by attending this garden’s very own NParks Concert Series in the Park: Rockestra. Local artists will be performing under the theme Moonlit melodies in both Mandarin and English. Bust a move with your family at this super fun celebration and try not to cringe at your dad’s adorable singing.
Guests can also partake in Lantern riddles where they can attempt to unravel traditional riddles with family and friends.
Free movie screenings are also available and a night bazaar with plenty of snacks to devour under the full moon. A beautiful lantern display will also be available to honour the beacons that light people’s paths to prosperity and good fortune.
Admission: Free
Venue: Jurong Lake Gardens
Dates: 8th-22nd September 2024
Time: 6:30pm–10pm
Contact: NParks website
Oh, boy, oh, boy! In celebration of Donald Duck’s 90th anniversary, VivoCity will be transforming its skypark into a Donald Duck-themed display for kids and adults to enjoy. There will be an enormous light-up boat display and tons of themed photo booths to take cute pictures.
With a total of 6 zones to explore, this exhibition promises a fun and interactive experience for kids and adults alike. Ahoy! The Celebration will feature a massive ship installation for you to snap Instagram-worthy pics. Tunnel of Joy is a vibrant installation where you can saunter through and witness the 9 decades of the iconic Donald Duck, Surf’s Up, Feathers Down, Frame of Fame, Dive into Fun, and Seaside Sweethearts are all hilarious and goofy installations for you to click fun pictures with.
Just please, for the love of all that is good and pure, put away the Teochew duck rice before exploring this super fun, but limited-time exhibition.
Admission: Free
Venue: VivoCity SkyPark, Level 3
Dates: Now till 17th September 2024
Time: 10am-10pm
Contact: VivoCity website
Image credit: Erda Ally
Kids Get Craft is Crane’s event where kiddos can participate in a variety of fun activities. Their Doodle Fest will provide guests with paper and colour pencils for you to tap into your inner Vincent Van Gogh. Each slot is 30 mins at any time within the duration of the event. In other words, please just Gogh home after 30 mins.
Crane’s partner, Erda Ally also has reusable colouring mats for kids to get creative with. They can then proceed to participate in the fun Treasure Hunt where guests get a goodie bag of sweets and are meant to hide them in the assigned treasure hunt area for kids to find.
Kid-friendly snacks, treats, and accessories are also available for sale.
Admission: Free
Venue: 285 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427535
Dates: 14th-15th September 2024
Time: Various timings, refer to website for details
Contact: Crane website
Singapore Cultural Chinese Centre will be hosting their very own Mid-Autumn Family Fun which, true to its name, will include tons of events catering to families.
If you prayed for free stuff, then consider your prayers answered with these free giveaways including mooncake sponges, Old Chang Kee snacks, and a mystery gift. Mooncake Sponges are given to the first 250 visitors per hourly slot and Old Chang Kee Snacks can be redeemed after completing a survey. Mystery gifts can be collected after completing your stamp card at all 7 game booths.
Moon Mission ($15/pax, $25/pair, $40/bundle of 4) is a 40-minute storytelling session about Chang’e and her mission on the moon. Listeners will also learn more about other Chinese legends and mythical characters.
You and your kiddo could be the next iconic singing duo after attending this event’s Mid-Autumn Melodies, A Parent-Child Lyrics Writing Workshop. Move over Taylor Swift, you’ve got some serious competition.
Head on over to Singapore Cultural Chinese Centre’s Roof Garden and partake in Amazing Stargazing with telescopes provided by Science Centre Singapore.
Admission: Free
Venue: Singapore Cultural Chinese Centre
Dates: 6th-8th September 2024
Time: Various timings, check website for details
Contact: Singaporen.sg website
Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival 2024 is another worthy addition to the list of must-attend Mid-Autumn festivals with tons of events. Some highlights include:
Admission: Free
Venue: 12 Tai Gin Road, Singapore 327874
Dates: 14th-15th September 2024
Time: 1pm – 9pm
Contact: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall website
While Changi Airport may not be the first location that comes to mind when planning celebrations, Hub & Spoke’s Mid-Autumn Moonwalk promises fun and exciting activities to attend:
Admission: $12/adult | $16/child | Free for kids below 4 years old
Venue: 60 Airport Boulevard, #01-T2S-02, Changi Airport, Singapore 819643
Date: 8th & 15th September 2024
Time: 6pm-9pm
Contact: Changi airport website
Chinatown Point will be hosting their very own Mid-Autumn event, To the Moon and Back, that focuses on the warmth of family and the joy of community.
Their main highlights include the photo-op To The Moon and Back, their lantern-making competition and their mass lantern walk.
To the Moon and Back will feature a cool galactic photo-op where guests can take Instagram-worthy pics. Feel free to attempt to moonwalk and hopefully, not disgrace our MVP Michael Jackson. At the lantern-making competition, guests stand a chance to win cool prizes while flexing their artistic skills. The mass lantern walk will include a walk under the full moon, while proudly showcasing your lanterns and also enjoying mooncakes.
When customers spend a minimum of $188, they also get to redeem an exclusive Chinatown Point Mooncake Reusable Bag.
Admission: Free
Venue: Chinatown Point
Dates: Now till 29th September 2024
Time: 10am-10pm
Contact: Chinatown Point website
In this Mooncake Workshop, kids will be made to decorate 2 mooncakes in this 60-minute workshop. This new type of mooncake will be in the shape of a cookie sandwich with delicious fruit-flavoured guimauve.
In the process, 8 3D cookies are decorated with cute motifs and a chocolate pen. The meanings of the motifs will be explained through the process. Children are also taught about the Mid-Autumn Festival culture and the joy of gift-giving.
Accompanying adults can also design mooncakes, but a ticket must be booked. Alternatively, they could sit nearby for support. Who knows, maybe your little one is the next Gordon Ramsay – without all the swearing, of course. Hopefully.
Admission: $43.50/pax
Venue: 1 Holland Village Way, Singapore
Dates: 30th August-17th September 2024
Time: Various timings, check website for details
Contact: Klook website
Singapore Swimming Club’s is making a comeback with their Mid-Autumn celebrations in 2024 with loads of entertainment for you to feel the joyous spirit that is special to this festival.
Kiddos can gather around and listen to a story-telling session and discover the enchanting tale of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. The Meet & Greet with Chang’e will certainly be all the more fascinating, once they’ve understood the significance of the moon and the Moon Goddess.
Excitingly, the first 150 kids will also receive a complimentary lantern with which they can enjoy a magical lantern walkabout around the pool. Guests will surely have something to be thankful for this season, with the spread of delightful mooncakes to savour.
Admission: Free
Venue: Singapore Swimming Club, Atrium
Date: 14th September 2024
Time: 6pm-7pm
Contact: Singapore swimming club website
Whether it’s to spend time with family or to eat to your heart’s content, Mid-Autumn celebrations always promise a wonderful and joyous time. From hands-on activities to exciting competitions, this year’s celebrations have proven to be a thrilling way to slowly wrap up the year.
Explore family-friendly activities and uncover the true meaning behind Mid-Autumn celebrations with this list that covers plenty of events to attend.
For more about Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore, check out:
Cover image adapted from: Chinatown Festivals, @singaporechineseculturalcentre via Instagram, & Gateway Theatre
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