Fall officially begins on September 22nd this year, but, for some of us, especially my mom, waiting just a couple more days to embrace the season and put out the knock-off Pottery Barn pumpkins and pumpkin-latte-scented candles is practically unbearable. So, why not celebrate the season of harvest a bit early, the Vietnamese way, with a Mid-Autumn Festival, hosted by Crosstown Concourse, in partnership with Gloss Nail Bar, Karina Tong, and the Vietnamese Association of Memphis?
The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Tết Trung Thu in Vietnamese, is also known as the “Children’s Festival” as it celebrates children’s innate innocence that marks them as the closest connection to the pure and natural beauty of the world. The special event also has “components of a harvest festival and a fertility festival,” says Jesse Davis, communications manager at Crosstown Arts.
As such, lunar imagery plays a large part in this holiday, traditionally celebrated during the Harvest Moon, with celebrants observing the moon to divine the future of the people and the harvests. In fact, mooncakes, representative of the night sky, are a staple dish for the festival and will be served at Crosstown for the occasion.
Crosstown’s festival will also feature live music, face painting, and a dragon dance. Davis explains, “In its oldest form, the festival commemorated the dragon who brings the rain [for crops].” Moreover, this year’s festival will host an Áo dài fashion show. The Áo dài is traditional Vietnamese formal wear, essentially a long, split tunic worn over trousers.
Already, Crosstown is decorating its central atrium, hanging lanterns that traditionally signify the wish for the sun’s light and warmth to return after winter. “Just that alone is fantastic,” Davis says, pointing out that the evening itself promises to be just as — if not more — fantastic.
Mid-Autumn Festival, Crosstown Concourse, Saturday, September 17, 5-8 p.m., free.
