The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is a festival celebrating the fall harvest season with events taking place at various venues in the Vancouver region.
In recent years there have been mid-autumn moon festival events in Richmond, Coquitlam and other communities, including in Vancouver with the Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival and at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver’s Chinatown.
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Chinese Canadian Museum | Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden | Gateway Theatre in Richmond | Mackin Park in Coquitlam | About Mid-Autumn Festivals | Other Information
Mid-Autumn Festivals in the Lower Mainland
Events in the Lower Mainland typically include the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival at Mackin Park in Coquitlam, Mid-Autumn Melodies in Richmond, and Mid-Autumn Festival at the Chinese Canadian Museum. There is also an event at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden in Chinatown each year.
Mid-Autumn Festival at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Chinatown
The Chinese Canadian Museum is a really good museum located at #51 East Pender Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown. The museum is interesting to visit any time of the year, but especially when it has special events happening, including during its Mid-Autumn Festival in the fall and at Lunar New Year in either January or February.
In 2026 the Chinese Canadian Museum had its Mid-Autumn Festival event on the Saturday and Sunday of September 26th and 27th. Activities took place between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm on both days and most of the activities were included with general admission to the museum. The only one you had to pay for was the mooncake-making workshop which cost between $40 and $50.
On both the Saturday and Sunday in 2026 there were mooncake samples to enjoy (thanks to Sungiven Foods). There were also crafts involving Chinese knot lantern tassels and playdough mooncakes. On the Saturday, there were story time sessions at 11:30 am in English and 1:30 pm in Cantonese.
The mooncake-making workshops were on the Sunday with Chef Christopher Leow. They happened at 11:30 am and then again at 1:30 pm. The workshops were ticketed, you had to register for them, and they likely sold out well in advance.
To learn more about events at the Chinese Canadian Museum, see the chinesecanadianmuseum.ca website.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden
Located at 578 Carrall Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden hosts an annual Mid-Autumn Festival. In 2026 the 40th edition was titled Moon Palace. The event took place from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm on the weekend of September 26th and 27th.
Celebrations in 2026 included traditional performances, cultural stories, lantern displays and other activities. As an added bonus, the first 100 ticket orders came with a traditional bamboo hand fan. Access to the event was included with general admission to the garden.
For more information about the Mid-Autumn Festival and other events at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden, click vancouverchinesegarden.com.
Mid-Autumn Melodies in Richmond
Gateway Theatre is a community theatre venue at 6500 Gilbert Road in Richmond. In 2026 the theatre presented its Mid-Autumn Melodies event on Sunday, September 20th.
The day kicked off with a 2:00 pm concert featuring Jason Sakaki and Tiana Jung. The duo performed melodies from famous films and musicals at the nearby Minoru Chapel. Following the concert were complimentary mooncakes. There was also a paper lantern craft. Tickets were $25 for adults and $15 for ages 18 and under.
To learn more about the event in Richmond, visit gatewaytheatre.com.
Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in Coquitlam
The Coquitlam Heritage Society hosts an annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival too. In 2026 the event was held at Mackin Park, located at 1046 Brunette Avenue. It ran from noon until 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 19th.
The event featured lion dancing performances, live music and arts and crafts. There were also local vendors to check out. The-Mid Autumn Moon Festival had a food tent as well, along with mooncake demonstrations and tastings. Admission to the 2026 event was completely free, although RSVPs were appreciated.
For more information about the event in Coquitlam, visit coquitlamheritage.ca.
About Mid-Autumn Festivals
Originating in China a few thousand years ago, mid-autumn festivals and moon festivals happen all around the world, especially in Asian countries, including China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.
The Mid-Autumn Festival takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar, which means sometime between September 7th and October 8th depending on the year. The holiday celebrates the full moon around the autumn equinox. In Japan the event is called Tsukimi, which means moon viewing.
Traditionally the holiday event is a time for giving thanks, admiring the full moon, harvesting crops, and eating mooncakes with friends and family. (Mooncakes are an Asian pastry. They are traditionally round, filled with either lotus seed or red bean paste, and eaten during the fall moon festival.) Lanterns and lion or dragon dances are also sometimes part of the tradition. In some ways, it’s a bit like North American Thanksgiving.
Other Information
To learn about other fall festivals and activities, see our articles about the following:
Other websites you might also like include VancouverHalloweenEvents.ca and VancouverMuseums.ca.
