This is the Mid-Autumn festival that belongs to the neighborhood rather than to an institution, held on a fully closed Eighth Avenue rather than inside a hall. Ten blocks of Brooklyn Chinatown come out at once, which is the single best way to see a part of the city most visitors never reach. And the bakeries lining the route are the reason the holiday has a pastry named after it.
What to expect
A ten-block full closure of Eighth Avenue through Brooklyn's Chinatown, with lion dancing, community and school contingents, and bakeries and food counters working at capacity along the route. The crowd skews local and multigenerational. Side streets stay open, so you can duck out easily when it gets dense.
Good to know
- The N train's Eighth Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway stops put you directly on the route
- The D train at 62nd Street connects to the N and is a short walk from the northern end
- Eighth Avenue is fully closed to traffic, so driving into the neighborhood is a bad plan
- Many bakeries and small counters along the avenue are cash-only
- Mooncakes sell out fastest in the boxed gift sets, so buy early if you want to bring some home
- Cross streets stay open, which makes it easy to step off the avenue when the crowd thickens
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Common questions
Is it free?
Yes. It is a permitted event on closed public streets with no admission charge.
How long does it run?
The city permit covers 11 AM to 3 PM on Sunday, September 27.
Where is it?
Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, between 50th and 60th Streets, under a full street closure.
What is a mooncake?
A dense pastry filled with lotus seed or red bean paste, often around a salted egg yolk, eaten and given as a gift during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Eighth Avenue's bakeries stock them through the holiday.
