When Rita Chan, Ben Chin, Fred Hua, and Justina Nguyen met four years ago, they quickly discovered they shared a vision for the Asian American creative community in New York City.
“We realized there were so many Asian American creatives around us, and we’re all spread out in different parts of the industry,” Chin said. “So I wanted to create a space that brings us all together.”
Through this vision, the NYC Mid-Autumn Fest was born.
Each year the four organizers — Chin, Hua, Chan, and Nguyen — plan a gathering and artisan market for Asian American creatives in New York City to build community while enjoying food, art and performances together. The festival celebrates the Harvest Moon, one of the most significant holidays for Asian families each year.
At this year’s Mid-Autumn Fest, hosted at Hana House this past weekend in Downtown Brooklyn on Oct. 4, local artists sold items like handmade zines, mooncake shaped candles and Filipino banana ketchup. Food vendors from across the city offered dishes like hand-pulled noodles, summer rolls and Indian mithai sweets. Outside, visitors took part in free Muay Thai classes and painting workshops.
The festival is also a not-for-profit event, benefiting local charities each year. This year, all profits went towards Meals for Unity, an organization providing meals to the elderly across the city.
This was the third year of the festival and Chin expected the largest crowd yet. He also explained that the creative spirit of his fellow organizers and the artists they work with has given him hope, despite the political and cultural shifts since last year’s presidential election.
“We’ve had to be really creative as we work with each other and fundraise,” Chin shared. “It’s easy to just throw your hands up and say, ‘Well, the world’s not for people like us anymore,’ and not do anything about it. But [at the festival] everyone’s energy is like, ‘Okay, how can we make this work? How can we do things differently? How can we help each other do this?’ It gives me a lot of hope for what we can keep building.”
Photos and text by Corrie Aune.
Update October 7, 2025: The piece has been updated to include a photo with all the founders pictured.
