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The romance of culture is often found in a country’s history and traditional holidays. For Asian countries, the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival celebrates the day’s namesake at the end of the summer harvest, usually on the 15^th day of the 8^th lunar month – or October 6 in 2006. China, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia are few of the countries that participate in the festivities.

In the U.S., various culture houses, such as Towson University will also take part in the celebration. The university’s Asian Arts & Culture Center, which recently celebrated its 35^th anniversary, is host to the bi-annual, “Many Moons Festival” on Saturday, September 30, from 11 to 6 p.m.

The day-long festival includes three stages featuring performances of traditional and innovative music, dance, arts & crafts, storytelling, martial arts, and food and teas from around the world.

“The name, ‘Many Moons,’ is based on the many different Asian countries that follow the lunar calendar,” said Suewhei Shieh, director of the Asian Arts & Culture Center. “A festival is probably the best way to showcase as many different cultures in one event. You will have all kinds of things from Asia in one place. People can travel with us to Asia without leaving the building.”

Shieh started the festival in 2001 to expose exhibit patrons to a culture they are unfamiliar with. According to Shieh, the majority of festival goers come from non-Asian backgrounds.

“It is not like I can promote diversity or multiculturalism in one event, but most of the events we do here is to provide the audience with something different to broaden their cultural experience,” Shieh said.

The audience will watch as traditional and contemporary performing artists take the stage. Artists include Nendaiko: Japanese festival drumming, Sampa Thai Dance: classical Thai dancers, the Washington Korean Dance Company: traditional Korean dance and drums, the Nguyen Family Bamboo Ensemble: Vietnamese Music, the Natya Kala Mandir School of Classical Indian Dance, the Madison Chinese Dance Academy, and Dance Philippines: multicultural dances from the Philippines. The Ikkyu Koto Ensemble plans to present Japanese Koto music accompanied by the shakuhachi, a Japanese wood-wind instrument.

In the larger public spaces of the Center for the Arts building, participants can view demonstrations and workshops on Asian arts and crafts. Children and adults can try their hand at Japanese doll making, origami, Chinese knotting, dough figurines and Korean paper lotus lanterns. Internationally recognized Korean calligrapher, Myoung-Won Kwon will present a calligraphy demonstration using a huge brush dipped into a bucket of ink. Martial art schools will present various styles of Asian self defense including selected Chinese, Korean, Filipino and Japanese forms. Tea artist, In-May Liu, illustrates the art of tea with demonstrations and tasting. Bill Jenkins’ World of Music and Nendaiko presents hands-on music workshops where children can try Asian instruments.  

The colorful and aromatic Crossroads Marketplace on the second floor atrium will feature food vendors serving an array of culinary delights. Booths selling items from various Asian countries including Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, India and China, handcrafted work, clothing, books, CDs, jewelry and incense. Other booths feature practitioners of the art of yoga, meditation and fengshui (wind and water), who explain holistic methods of natural healing.