• View more photos on Flickr: Connected Concert | Mid-Autumn Festival

HOUSTON, October 4, 2023 — Asia Society Texas celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with a Friday evening jazz concert followed by a festive Saturday featuring performances and crafts highlighting different cultural traditions inspired by the popular holiday.

On September 29, jazz-funk bassist Richie Goods and vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu presented an electric evening as they performed selections from their collaborative jazz album Connected. Between songs, Goods and Lu reminisced on their musical partnership's beginnings during the COVID-19 lockdown and shared how, inspired by conversations about Black Lives Matter and anti-Asian violence, they began merging Taiwanese musical traditions with American jazz.

The following day, Asia Society Texas welcomed 1,200 guests to enjoy Mid-Autumn Festival fun, including an additional jazz performance by Goods and Lu, Chinese poetry and opera, and a telling of the moon goddess Chang'e. Guests of all ages created faux mooncakes, bunny boxes, Chinese zodiac-themed animal puppets, and more, while also enjoying free admission to the Explore Asia and Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits exhibitions. Local vendors Momo Bakes Cake and Saigon Arts Matcha Cafe sold mooncakes, desserts, and teas.

Community partners for the Mid-Autumn Festival included the Formosa Association of Student Cultural Ambassadors, Houston Hanfu Association, Houston Public Library, KASH, the Ministry of Culture (Taiwan), North American Poetry Association, and Taiwan Academy of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston. Asia Society Texas' Mid-Autumn Festival programming is presented as part of the Spotlight Taiwan series.

View more photos on Flickr: Connected Concert | Mid-Autumn Festival