It is time for mooncakes, lanterns and gentle sips of tea again.
This year’s mid-autumn festival falls on Sunday, 27 September. Kids love the festival as it provides an excuse to venture into the evening armed with a lantern and a sense of adventure.
In Singapore, the mid-autumn festival celebrations also provide an opportunity to admire lantern displays and to engage in traditional activities and crafts with friends and family.
Here are some of the best mid-autumn festival events around Singapore in 2015 that everyone can enjoy on a little day out.
Mid-Autumn Festival at The Gardens 2015
24 Sep to 4 October
7 pm to 11 pm
Free admission
Gardens by the Bay
Website
Gardens by the Bay gets lit up by the glowing light of handcrafted lanterns around its grounds. Located at the Main Entrance, Supertree Grove, Dragonfly Bridge and Dragonfly Lake, displays include floating lanterns and others in the form of boats and animals such as lions, tigers, jaguars, elephants and more. Look out for 50 goat-shaped lanterns painted by the public in a lantern-decorating competition. Visit on 25 September for fireworks at 7.30 pm to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Other highlights of Mid-Autumn Festival at The Gardens 2015 include free nightly cultural performances at the Supertree Grove from 25 Sep to 4 Oct. Visitors can also savour the delights at a food street with more than 30 stalls that will open from 6 pm to 11 pm on weekdays and from 4 pm on weekends.
2014 File picture
Also on display at Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome is the “Celebration of Chrysanthemums” floral display. Running from 24 Sep till 10 Nov, this display celebrates the chrysanthemum bloom, a symbolic feature in traditional Chinese art to depict the autumn season.
Moonfest
25 to 27 Sep
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Website
Esplanade’s Moonfest celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival through performances and activities the family can enjoy. From a showcase of traditional dances to a backstage tour of a traditional street opera stage, explore the arts at Esplanade. Kids can watch Journey West: Web of Deceit by Paper Monkey Theatre and take part in fun parent-child workshops. Look out for roving stilt walkers and take part in a waterfront Lantern Walkabout on 26 Sep at 7.45 pm.
Chinatown Mid Autumn Festival 2015
13 Sep to 12 Oct
Free Admission
Chinatown
Website
Organised by the Kreta Ayer – Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee, this year’s Chinatown Mid Autumn Festival features 2,300 lanterns designed in collaboration with students from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. In the form of familiar local icons such as Singa the Courtesy Lion, the lights can be found along Eu Tong Seng Street and North Bridge Road. Other activities at the Chinatown Mid Autumn include a street bazaar, heritage tours and a mass lantern walk.
Wan Qing Mid-Autumn 2015
19 to 27 Sep
10 am to 5 pm
Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Enjoy lantern sculptures at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, take part in lantern-making workshops, guess lantern riddles and tour the exhibition. There is even a tea art workshop and special guided tours as the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Changi Airport – Rediscover China
7 to 27 Sep
12 pm to 11 pm
T3, Departure Check-in Hal near Row 11, Level 2, Public Area
Website
Browse through an interactive exhibition that presents the many faces of China. Enjoy delicious treats on the weekends from 2 pm to 4 pm, 7 pm to 9 pm. Little ones can learn how to design mooncakes at the Mooncake Design Making activity corner. You can also redeem a 5D adventure ride with a minimum spend.
Programmes at the Libraries
Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration
26 Sep
11 am to 3 pm
Tampines Regional Library
Website
Super Storytastic Special: Mid-Autumn Festival
25 Sep
7.30 pm to 8 pm
Chua Chu Kang Public Library
Website
Discover more about the Mid-Autumn Festival with special programmes organised at the libraries.
Lunar in the SEAA
27 Sep
8 pm to 10.30 pm
S.E.A Aquarium
Website
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in the unique setting of the S.E.A Aquarium. Be entertained by live Chinese orchestral music, enjoy traditional games, delicious mooncakes and storytelling sessions.
VivoCity – Mooncake Mascot & Mr Time Rabbits
5, 12, 19 & 26 Sep
4 pm & 7 pm
VivoCity
Website
Look out for VivoCity’s roving mascots around the mall, say hello and snap a picture with them!
