The Dallas Police Department Northeast Patrol Division Neighborhood Police Unit and the Texas Women’s Society will host the first-ever Dallas Moon Festival this Saturday at Flag Pole Hill.
Running from 4-9 p.m., the event will celebrate a variety of various Asian cultures featured in vendor stalls. Vendors will showcase the cuisine and products of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia, according to the event’s vendor list and TWS’s Facebook page.
“The main focus of this event is to develop a better relationship between the Dallas Police Department and the citizens, citizens of Dallas, the metroplex, and Texas. The Dallas Police Department, just like our citizens, is full of diverse and rich cultures,” read a letter to sponsors. “We have flourished in part thanks to our cultural diversity that is underpinned by our common values and commitment to freedom, security, and prosperity. Many cultures spanning across many continents share some of the same festivals, such as the Lunar Moon Festival. By sharing this festival with the diverse citizens of Dallas we hope to bring us all closer together.”
What is the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival?
Also known as the Mooncake Festival, the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival customarily takes place on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, typically coinciding with September or October. The Festival celebrates the end of the harvest and the arrival of the full moon, believed to be brightest during this time, which symbolizes reunion and completeness, according to the National Library Board of Singapore.
While primarily associated with Chinese tradition, there are many closely related festivals in other East Asian countries.
The event
The event is being hosted in collaboration with the the City of Dallas, Ms. International Texas, D10 Councilmember Kathy Stewart and the Lake Highlands Public Improvement District. Admission is free to the public. Over 10,000 attendees from across the city are expected to attend the event, organizers say.
Close to 20 food vendors are expected to attend, including See You Again Chinese, Thai food truck Mint’s Kitchen and Dynamite Egg Rolls. If you’re not hungry, there will be merchandise stands selling an array of wares.
In addition to the market aspect of the Festival, there will also be live music, which neighbors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to enjoy. Lantern parades and dragon dances, in addition to other live performances, are expected.
City departments be on-site to provide information on City services at stalls, organizers say.
