Friday, September 16, 2016

RIVERSIDE, CA — Riverside Metropolitan Museum’s Heritage House will host its Chinese Moon Festival, on Friday, September 16, 2016 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Chinese Moon Festival, one of the most important in the Chinese tradition, is celebrated in the middle of the 8^th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Traditionally, the Festival is a family holiday, much like Thanksgiving and families gather to watch the full moon rise and enjoy pastries made specifically for the event called “moon cakes”.

The Heritage House celebrates this tradition with Lion Dance performances, games and crafts, storytelling and chopstick training. The Riverside Astronomical Society will be at the Festival with telescopes to view the full moon.

In addition to the fun entertainment, the Moon Festival at Heritage House is a way to highlight the unseen work of Chinese domestic servants in Riverside’s history. View Riverside’s Chinatown artifacts and photographs from the Museum’s collections telling the story of what life was like as a Chinese immigrant during the city’s earlier days.

Riverside’s early history coincided with the migration of thousands of Chinese men from Southern China. The early settlers of the town relied upon Chinese labor for domestic help, fresh vegetables, laundry services, and manual labor. The Chinese also contributed to the successful development of the town’s citrus industry, and were employed in the groves as well as the packinghouses. Catharine Bettner employed Chinese men as servants and cooks.

Come for the fun and explore Riverside’s history through the Chinese Moon Festival at the Heritage House.

Riverside Metropolitan Museum, 3580 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501, (951) 826-5273, www.riversideca.gov/museum; Museum open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m .– 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday 11 p.m. – 5 p.m.