Kid-friendly Mid-Autumn Festival 2020: Lantern Displays & Events

Where to go and what to do this Mid-Autumn Festival
(aka Mooncake Festival) with kids in 2020!

While we’re still getting to grips with the new normal, it does mean that the Mid-Autumn Festival (aka Mooncake Festival) will be celebrated differently this year. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still get into the spirit of mooncake eating and lantern making!

So you know all about the history of Mid-Autumn Festival, where to get your mooncakes and how to get crafty with the kiddos Mid-Autumn style. Now it’s time to talk lights, lanterns and more Mid-Autumn Festival fun (even if it’s at home)! This year’s celebration will be made up of light displays at Chinatown, Gardens by the Bay and the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, plus virtual mooncake and lantern fun to be had online.

Mid-Autumn Events

Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival 2020

Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival and reminisce about the heritage of Chinatown and the history of Singapore! While there won’t be nightly stage shows, exciting dragon dance performances or the festive bazaar this time round, you can still check out the street light up and join the festivities online. There will be an Online Escape Room with a customized Mid-Autumn Festival storyline, on Online Lantern Painting Competition on Facebook, a 360 Virtual Tour of the street light up and more!

When: Street light up from 17 September – 16 October 2020, 7pm – midnight daily
Where: Along New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen Street and South Bridge Road
How much: Free!

Mid-Autumn Festival at Gardens by The Bay

Gardens by the Bay’s Mid-Autumn Festival display is always spectacular and despite the situation as of late, this year will thankfully be no different! Illuminating the Gardens will be six lantern sets embracing the significance of Mid-Autumn Festival with the themes of family reunion and unity in the community. A highlight of this year’s light-up is Apricot Grove, which features apricot flowers in various stages of blooming. Inspired by the Chinese fable of Dong Feng (a skilled and generous medical practitioner from the Three Kingdoms period), this lantern set is a floral tribute to healthcare workers. Featuring five framed scenes, there will also be Water Song, a lantern set located near the Planet sculpture, between Supertree Grove and The Meadow. You can feast your eyes on 2,000 lanterns for display at Supertree Grove and Flower Dome, all of which have been hand-painted and coloured by local community groups and social service organisations, as well as Gardens by the Bay’s mature staff and volunteers. Visitors can also look forward to the Royal Family’s Walk, which depicts a royal procession of the king and queen in the early Joseon Dynasty in Korea. First displayed at the Seoul Lantern Festival 2019, this unique lantern set located at Supertree Grove is made of hanji, a Korean traditional paper created using the bark of the mulberry tree.
Online, there will be a virtual preview of the lantern displays, performances by award-winning flutist and composer, Rit Xu, and Chinese dance duo, Li Ruimin and Zheng Long, a snow skin mooncake demonstration conducted by People’s Association, Chinese craft tutorials as well as haiku. All these will be accessible to the public on Gardens by the Bay’s website from 18 September to 4 October!

When: 18 September to 4 October 2020
Where: Activities online, displays at Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
How much: Online activities are free; entrance fees to the domes at Gardens by the Bay apply

Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival (Digital Edition)

Taking place online this year, the Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival will feature well-loved family-friendly programmes that spotlight Mid-Autumn customs and cultural heritage, as well as an outdoor installation featuring four large roly-poly fish lanterns!

When: 15 September – 11 October 2020
Where: Activities online, installation will be at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, 12 Tai Gin Rd, Singapore 327874
How much: Free!

Mid-Autumn Festival @ Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre

To encourage a better appreciation of Chinese Singaporean culture, the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre has launched a series of online programmes to highlight the customs and traditions of this festival. Let the friendly and knowledgeable Kaki share with you the stories and beliefs behind these traditional Chinese festivals. You can hone your skills at lantern riddles with riddle enthusiast Qiu Rong as she breaks down the ins-and-outs of these challenging brain teasers in an engaging online tutorial. There will also be a heart-warming animation, Moonlit Memories, produced in collaboration with students from Nanyang Polytechnic to bring back fond memories of the festivities.

When: 11 – 28 September 2020
Where: Mostly online. Ongoing SINGAPO人 exhibition is held at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, 1 Straits Boulevard, Singapore 018906
How much: Free!

Snowskin Mooncakes Making Workshop

Bond with your kiddo over snowskin mooncakes in this hands-on session by Little Forest. Originating from Hong Kong, the snowskin mooncake is a non-baked pastry that can be eaten cold. Not only will you learn about the various ingredients that make up the snowskin mooncake, you’ll also get to take your colourful creations home afterwards to share with the family. Due to social distancing, there’s a maximum limit of three people in a group. The workshop is suitable for kids aged 3 and above and you can register online.

When: 27 September 2020, 10am or 1pm
Where: Little Forest, 398 Joo Chiat Place, #02-03, Singapore 428080
How much: $60 per parent-child pair, $20 per additional adult or child

More Mid Autumn Festival & Mooncake Fun