The Chinatown Merchants Association with Title Sponsor AT&T will present the Annual Autumn Moon Festival to be held in Chinatown on Saturday and Sunday, September 6th & 7th, 2014.

Chinatown's best-attended annual event, will begin with a grand opening ceremony and parade at 11am on Saturday starting at California and Grant. As in years past, events will include free live entertainment, an open-air pedestrian street bazaar featuring a wide array of bargain merchandise, and multiple parades along historic Grant Avenue between California Street and Columbus Avenue. Festivities will continue non-stop until 6pm daily. Thousands of local residents and foreign visitors typically attend the Moon Festival each year.

A variety of cultural performances will be offered on the main stage throughout the festivities, hosted by Mistresses of Ceremonies Anita Cheung and Rose Chung. Guest entertainer schedule will be announced shortly.

Celebrated for more than 1,000 years in Asia, the Moon Festival marks a time to reflect upon the bounty of the summer harvest, the fullness of the moon, and the myth of the moon Goddess, Chang O (or Chang E). The Moon Festival is a distinctly and authentically Asian holiday, which has been likened to a "Chinese Thanksgiving". It is among the most popular holidays in Asia, ranking alongside the celebration of the lunar New Year in cultural significance.

With the celebration of the Moon Festival in San Francisco each year, east meets west, traditional meets modern, and a joyous time is had by all in the streets of historic Chinatown. Local and visitors alike are cordially invited to join in the grand 24th anniversary celebration of the Moon Festival.

Note: Attendance at the Autumn Moon Festival is always heavy, so the public is encouraged to use MUNI or BART.