The City of Carmel’s will hold its annual Chinese Mooncake Festival – including the popular DRAGON PARADE down Main Street – on Saturday Aug. 10. The Dragon Parade begins at 6:10 p.m., with the festivities taking place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Indiana Design Center, 200 S. Range Line Road, Carmel.
The Chinese Mooncake Festival is presented by the City, the Carmel-Xiangyang Sister City Committee and IU Health North Hospital.
This is a free event featuring music, dancing, mooncakes and a traditional Dragon Parade through the streets of the Carmel Arts & Design District.
Background
This is one of the two main holidays in China. According to Chinese legend, there was a time when 10 suns hung in the sky, baking the earth and depriving the people of water and life. A hero named Hou Yi climbed a Mountain and shot down nine of the 10 suns with his bow, saving the earth.
Hou Yi met the Lady Queen Mother and she gave him the elixir of immortality. The elixir would allow him to become immortal and fly to the heavens. He gave it to his wife for safekeeping. Someone tried to take it from her while he was away. In a panic, she drank the potion and became a goddess and flew to the sky. She cared so much for her husband, so she landed on the place closest to Earth, the moon.
When he returned and found his wife gone, he was devastated. He looked up to the moon to call out her name; he saw Chang’e as the Goddess of the Moon.
He brought out her favorite cakes to pray for blessings from Heaven. Then it became a tradition for people to worship Heaven and celebrate with moon cakes on that day. Thus, the Moon Festival became famous among the Chinese. On this day, they sit together and look at the moon and show appreciation for Heaven, earth and family unity. The round shape is a symbol of unity. Chinese people lay out fruits and mooncakes to celebrate the day.
For more information and updates, visit the festival’s Facebook page. ASL Interpretive Services are available if requested in advance. Please contact ASL@carmel.in.gov no later than Aug. 3.