Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival with the Nathan Yip Foundation at the Denver Zoo!

Join us for a fun-filled family day to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Known as the “Thanksgiving of the East,” the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is a celebration of gratitude, family, and the timeless beauty of moonlit traditions.

Every ticket and donation helps support our Rural Colorado Grants program, empowering educators and inspiring students across the state to shine even brighter.

Ticket sales ended September 4. Please contact info@nathanyipfoundation.org with questions.

What is Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节)?

The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is one of the most celebrated holidays in Chinese culture. It is a time for families to gather, celebrate the harvest, and enjoy traditional treats such as mooncakes and other round foods, which symbolize the full moon and family unity.

Traditionally marking the end of the autumn harvest, it is a time to express appreciation for the year’s abundance and blessings.

The festival takes place when the moon is believed to be at its brightest and fullest, making it closely associated with many lunar legends. The most famous is the story of Chang’e, the wife of the legendary archer Hou Yi. After Hou Yi shot down nine of the ten suns to save the earth, he received an elixir of immortality. To prevent the elixir from falling into the hands of Hou Yi’s greedy apprentice, Peng Meng, Chang’e drank it herself. She then ascended to the moon, where she became the Moon Goddess.

To this day, many people honor Chang’e during the Mid-Autumn Festival by offering fruits, mooncakes, and other delicacies while admiring the beauty of the full moon.