Hong Kong-style dim sum, okonomiyaki, Punjabi street food, nam khao, mooncakes, Spam musubi, kimchi and roti are among the foods on the menu at the second annual Many Moons Festival, set for Saturday, Oct. 3, in Sebastopol.
The festival celebrates Asian American, South and Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander cultures through live performances, art, workshops and, for food lovers, a lineup of food and drink vendors.
Consider this your call to take up chopsticks, tiffins and soup spoons.
On the menu will be slow-cooked galbi-jjim and crawfish fried rice from Bayou on the Bay; mochi muffins and onigiri from Kinoko; curries from Lata’s Indian Cuisine; momos from Momo Man; Korean hot dogs from Lola’s Market; sushi rolls from Sushi Shoubu; plate-lunch favorites from Tashia’s Eats; and tanghulu, a crunchy candied fruit, from Kim Tanghulu.
I’m especially excited to head back to Spice Bros, a Punjabi-style street food truck usually parked on Santa Rosa Avenue.
The stellar Hei Ma chili crisp and Ji’s Kimchi will also be there, along with the Tea Nook, whose Matcha Run Club (run first, drink later) has taken off on social media.
Many of the vendors are small local businesses or cottage-food producers, offering Asian flavors that can be difficult to find in the North Bay.
The festival will also feature K-pop dancing, taiko drummers, a kimono parade, lion dances and traditional hula, along with live music, cultural demonstrations, artists and makers, a fashion show, family activities and a lantern-lighting ceremony at dusk.
Additionally, Many Moons Festival organizers will present “Under Many Moons: Asian and Pacific Islander Art, Identity and Community” in partnership with the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. On view Sept. 26 through Oct. 11, the exhibition features regional AAPI artists working across painting, sculpture, printmaking and multimedia. Their work explores themes of migration, belonging, ancestral heritage and shared identity.
Many Moons Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Ives Park, 7400 Willow St., Sebastopol. Advance tickets are $10; admission at the gate is $15. Children 12 and younger are free.
Celebrate the diverse cultures and flavors of the Asian American, South and Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander communities at the Many Moons Festival in Sebastopol. Enjoy local food vendors, live performances, cultural demonstrations, art, workshops, and family activities for a vibrant day of community and connection.
