By Molly Walsh
This is on page 14-15 of OLY ARTS Summer 2024 print edition.
Lining the shores of Commencement Bay in Tacoma, the Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park is home to the annual Tacoma Moon Festival, an event that commemorates the multicultural makeup of the South Sound and beyond. At the Tacoma Moon Festival, community members of diverse heritage and background will unite in one central locale for an afternoon of live performances, family-friendly activities and opportunities to learn more about the origins of the park. Families get together to enjoy meals with special treats and to give Thanks for an end of the year of abundance. Tacoma Moon Festival is intended to bring communities in Tacoma together as one big family to celebrate Tacoma’s diverse cultures and traditions.
In addition to the Tacoma Moon Festival, the CRPF hosts a number of events at the park each year, including the Walk for Reconciliation Against Racism each autumn, and the new Music at the Park Festival, which took place in May.
Greg Youtz, vice president of the CRPF board, described the park standing as both an emblem of the region’s history, recognizing the ouster of Chinese residents from the City of Tacoma in November 1885, while also serving as a modern-day gathering spot to appreciate the diversity of the South Sound.
“We think that this park is pretty much unique in the United States, as being a city creating a park as an act of…memory, and an act of reconciliation,” said Youtz.
Hosley said events like the Tacoma Moon Festival encourage attendees to become acquainted with the park, learn more about the region’s history and bolster multicultural celebration and understanding.
“Through the educational and cultural events such as Tacoma Moon Festival, we seek to support and promote the cultural wealth of all Tacoma’s immigrant communities,” said Hosley.
The festival brings several thousand attendees to the Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park each year, with a full schedule of live multicultural performances, family-friendly interactive activities, food vendors, retail stalls, guided tours of the park, and a beer and wine garden. Youtz described the festival atmosphere as an upbeat celebration that allows attendees room to breathe, take in the happenings and appreciate the greater environment of the waterfront park.
Lotus Perry, CRPF board secretary and volunteer for the Tacoma Moon Festival, said that the festival’s live performances, vendors and activities span a wide array of cultural identities, and is a lively celebration uniting the attendees, vendors and performers.
“The best part for me is to see so many people coming out from various parts in the Puget Sound area, mingle and interact from each other through food, music, dance, crafts and other activities,” said Perry. “The annual TMF creates that needed public space to build better communities!”
Youtz said the performances are typically kicked off by the Mak Fai Lion Dance Association, with a full spectrum of continuous acts on the main stage of the festival, and performers for the 2024 Tacoma Moon Festival may also include Tlalokan, Guma Imahe Polynesian Dance, Hwa Sheng Chinese Opera Club, and more.
The Moon Princess Lantern Parade is a highlight of the festival, and takes place in the evening, toward the festival’s conclusion. The narrative of the Moon Princess is associated with the Mid-Autumn Moon Holiday, according to Hosley. During the festival, young attendees have the opportunity to decorate a lantern at one of the craft areas, and they are able to present their creations during the parade.
“This is always a favorite photo op for parents and little kids,” said Youtz.
As summer season winds down, and autumn quickly approaches, the Tacoma Moon Festival is the intersection of the past, and present day community-building. And there are many ways to be involved, whether as an attendee, or volunteer. To plan and execute this event each year, requires a concerted group effort from many facets of the Tacoma community and beyond Perry said.
This includes patrons like Tacoma Creates, Tacoma Arts Commission, Gottfried & Mary Fuchs Foundation and Annie Wright Schools. Ahead of the event, a strong corps of volunteers, including the CRPF board, band together to procure equipment, seek out performers and vendors, execute marketing plans, post on social media and beyond.
“It takes a lot of resources and manpower to host an annual event of such scale!” said Perry. “CRPF is grateful to have gained continuous support from our community sponsors and partners, and has managed hosting this annual outdoor festival since 2012! Without the hard work of the CRPF Board and its network of volunteers, this waterfront event that often attracts thousands of attendees would not be possible!”
WHAT:
2024 Tacoma Moon Festival
WHEN:
1-7 p.m., Sept. 14
WHERE:
Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park
1741 N. Schuster Parkway Tacoma
COST:
Free
LEARN MORE:
https://tacomamoonfestival.org