For Mary Smart from Aurora, the sixth annual Moon Festival at Pacifica Square on the city’s far East Side was a community highlight. As Smart waited for the program to begin, she shared, “I think it’s great that this is a multi-cultural event and it helps bring people together. I know Aurora prides itself on its diversity, and this is another one of those things.”
The event, hosted at Pacifica Square, a prominent Asian-centric shopping and lifestyle center, featured a five-hour celebration on Saturday. It was co-hosted by the Windfall Group, Pacifica Square, and the Global Friendship Exchange Foundation. Visitors from 2 p.m. onward explored activities, over 40 vendors, and dining options at food trucks and the food court.
The festival honors a significant Asian holiday, focusing on family reunions, gratitude, and the full moon, often celebrated with mooncakes and lanterns, as organizers explained. This year’s events included cultural performances from China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries. Martial arts demonstrations and video game contests entertained visitors. The Ramen Race, an annual ramen-eating contest, returned with over $1,000 in cash and prizes for winners.
Chris Loo, a business development manager for the Windfall Group, noted the festival attracts over 1,000 attendees in favorable weather. “The Global Friendship Exchange Foundation, a non-profit group, are really the people putting this on,” he said. “Their mission is to promote cultural sharing and awareness, helping bridge different cultures and promote global friendship.”
Loo shared that the Moon Festival’s origins in Asia date back to harvest celebrations under a full moon. “It’s kind of like an Asian Thanksgiving, where communities have big festivals to celebrate the harvest season,” he added. “We’ve been hosting this with vendors, food, and special events for years at Pacifica Square.”
The ramen-eating competition returned for its fourth year, featuring three-time local champion Robert Choi. Competing against him was Raina Huang, an international influencer traveling from the West Coast to contest his title. Other entrants included teams from Best Buy Aurora, Ninjacat Card Shop in Naperville, and Hollywood Casino representatives from Aurora and Joliet.
Aurora’s Faith Oludoyi attended with her children. “It’s a great multi-cultural event,” she said. Her daughter Temiyato, 9, eagerly collected candy and searched for books among the vendors.
Jennifer Chen, from the Chinese American Women in Action group, spoke about the festival’s importance. “Having grown up in Naperville, the change in the Asian community is amazing,” she said. “Bringing the community together to celebrate is wonderful. A decade ago, this wouldn’t have been possible.”