Best Places to Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival 2025 in Portland

Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in Portland

The Mid-Autumn Festival, observed on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, is a cherished celebration across many Asian cultures. It brings families together to honor the harvest and admire the full moon. Traditions such as eating mooncakes, lighting lanterns, and sharing stories have been passed down for over 3,000 years. In Portland, communities are coming together to mark this special occasion with cultural festivals, moon-viewing gatherings, food workshops, and family activities at gardens, libraries, and community centers.

Hands-On Mooncake Making at GeekEasy Café

GeekEasy Anime Café is offering an engaging workshop for those interested in learning how to make traditional mooncakes. Participants will receive step-by-step instruction on creating two types of mooncake dough: a crumbly shortbread-style pastry and the more traditional golden crust. The session also explores various fillings like red bean, mung bean, custard, and lotus paste. Attendees will leave with eight handmade mooncakes. The workshop runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays in September at 310 N.W. Davis St. The cost is $60 per person.

Mid-Autumn Festival at Lan Su Chinese Garden

Lan Su Chinese Garden is hosting a three-day celebration that blends cultural education, family-friendly activities, and evening performances. During the day, visitors can explore traditions from China, Vietnam, and Japan through lantern making, storytelling, garden tours, and interactions with rabbits from Rose City Rabbit Rescue. At night, the garden transforms into a magical space with fire dancing, a twilight lantern parade, and the chance to leave “love notes under the moon.” The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. during the day and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the evening, from Friday to Sunday, September 26-28.

Mid-Autumn Festival Night at GeekEasy Anime Café

In addition to the mooncake workshop, GeekEasy Anime Café is hosting a special evening celebration featuring food, music, and activities. The buffet-style dinner includes dishes like chow mein, marinated quail eggs, chicken karaage sandwich pinwheels, Japanese nachos with soy guacamole, and egg and coconut tarts. Entertainment includes karaoke, a trivia contest with prizes, and a cultural talk about the myths and traditions surrounding the holiday. Children can join in on lantern-making activities with limited-edition rabbit lanterns available. Each guest leaves with a gift bag filled with mooncakes and other festival treats. The event runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 4.

Portland Mid-Autumn Festival

The White Lotus Foundation hosts Portland’s largest Mid-Autumn Festival at Shun Fat Supermarket. This two-day event features over 100 vendors selling Asian food, snacks, drinks, and handmade crafts. Families can join the free lantern parade and sample mooncakes at the event. More than 10 cultural performances, from traditional dance and martial arts to live music, are scheduled across the weekend. An after-hours party is planned for both nights, offering extended programming until midnight. The event runs from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, October 4-5.

O-Tsukimi, the Moonviewing Festival at Portland Japanese Garden

The Japanese tradition of moonviewing, or O-Tsukimi, takes place over three evenings at the Portland Japanese Garden. Attendees are invited to stroll lantern-lit paths, sip sake and tea, listen to koto and shakuhachi performances, and compose haiku while awaiting the moonrise. A vegetarian bento meal is provided by Obon Shokudo, and the garden’s tea house hosts a candle-lit ceremony. The event aligns with the harvest moon, offering one of the city’s most atmospheric ways to experience the festival. The event runs from 5 p.m. on Sunday, 5:30 p.m. on Monday, and 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 5-7.

Multnomah County Libraries

Throughout the festival season, branches of Multnomah County Library will host free cultural programs designed for all ages. Activities include crafting LED paper lanterns, origami, tai chi lessons, storytelling, and musical performances. Events are scheduled at multiple branches between late September and mid-October.

Brookwood Library

The Brookwood Library in Hillsboro is marking the festival with a Vietnamese star lantern-making workshop and Mid-Autumn Festival with musical performances, crafting, and cultural storytelling. The events take place on Tuesday, September 30, and Saturday, October 18. The activities are free and open to all.