Fly me to the Moon Festival

More than 50 giant handcrafted lanterns from China will illuminate the Auckland suburb of Balmoral for three days from Friday.

The Auckland Moon Festival, organized by the Balmoral Chinese Business Association, runs through Sunday to mark the mid-autumn Festival.

The event is expected to draw about 30,000 visitors.

Falling on 6 October this year, the mid-autumn festival ranks alongside the Lunar New Year as one of China's most important annual celebrations.

As temperatures cool in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year, families traditionally gather for dinner and mooncakes under the full moon.

Lanterns play a prominent role in celebrations, symbolizing reunion and casting a festive glow across streets and homes.

Customs range from crafting and carrying lanterns during moon gazing to hanging them in trees and doorways, releasing them into the night sky or visiting elaborate public displays.

About 50 handcrafted lanterns had been imported from China for the festival this year, said Gavin Zhang, vice-president of the Balmoral Chinese Business Association.

Zhang said five side streets off Dominion Road would be transformed into streets based on the themes of mythology, reunion, folklore, poetry and Moon exploration.

One of the highlights would be 12 lanterns in the shape of mooncakes, each about three metres tall, arranged along the street themed "reunion", Zhang said.

The display has been designed to showcase the regional diversity of mooncakes across China, reflecting the different flavours and shapes found from north to south.

"Chinese people have a special feeling about mooncakes," Zhang said. "The round shape symbolizes reunion and sharing.

"In my hometown in Shanxi [province], we make a giant mooncake. It's cut into slices according to the number of family members, and everyone gets one piece, which mean we are together."

In addition to the mooncake lanterns, other displays inspired by the moon as well as the mythology of the Mid-Autumn Festival will also be featured, including five moon-shaped lanterns, each about three metres high, a depiction of the Moon goddess Chang'e and a giant rabbit lantern that stands five metres high.

Zhang said the festival would also showcase traditional customs such as mooncake making, paper cutting, sugar painting and dragon beard candy.

Cultural performances at the site are expected to include shadow puppetry, Hanfu parades and the vigorous Chinese folk dance known as Yingge.

Stalls offering traditional festival foods are expected to round out the experience, giving visitors a full taste of the holiday's charm.

The inaugural Dominion Road Moon Festival was held in 2019, organized by the Albert-Eden Local Board in conjunction with the Balmoral Chinese Business Association and the Dominion Road Business Association.

It was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic and scaled down in 2021 and 2022 under Covid-19 restrictions.

The full event returned in 2023 and was renamed Auckland Moon Festival in 2024 and aimed to appeal to a broader audience.

Zhang said the current economic downturn had put pressure on businesses along Dominion Road.

He hoped this year's festival would draw more foot traffic to local shops and restaurants.

"We feel Dominion Road has lost its luster because of the economic downturn," he said.

"Business used to be very good here and the entire street was bustling with customers. Now there are not many people walking around, it feels deserted.

"We hope that through this event we can bring more customers to local businesses, encourage spending and help boost the local economy."

Gary Holmes, manager of the Dominion Road Business Association, which is sponsoring the event this year, agreed.

Holmes said the Moon Festival had consistently attracted a surge of visitors, increasing spending to local businesses.

"There is an influx of people to Dominion Road during the festival, meaning more spending in hospitality businesses, both during the event and in the future, as people see what is on offer and come back to visit and eat along Dominion Road," Holmes said.

"Businesses are still doing it tough, but events like this help bring people through the doors."

Kendyl Smith, chair of the Albert-Eden Local Board, said traffic management would be in place during the event.

The entrance to five side streets connected to Dominion Road - Wiremu Street, Rocklands Avenue, Halston Road, Queens Avenue and Tennyson Avenue - will be closed to traffic, with additional parking restrictions on Dominion Road.

The closures will be lifted at midnight and reinstated at midday each day of the festival.

Organisers advise visitors to use public transport to travel to and from the event, as parking is likely to be limited.

Smith hoped the event would bring more people back to Dominion Road.

"We hope this is a well-attended event that brings people together, as well as supporting local businesses on Dominion Road in what has been a challenging time," Smith said.

"The local board proudly supports and funds many cultural groups and festivals that reflect the diversity of the Albert-Eden Local Board area."

The Auckland Moon Festival will run from Friday through Sunday, open from 5pm to 10pm on Friday, 2pm to 10pm on Saturday and 2pm to 9:30pm on Sunday.