On Sunday, October 8, 2023, more than 600 attendees–including parents, their children and relatives–attended the Vietnamese Children’s Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival organized by the Vietnamese Women’s Association of Toronto at the Oakdale Community Centre (350 Grandravine Drive, North York), after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Present at the Vietnamese Chidlren’s Festival was government official Stephen Leece, the Minister of Education of Ontario.
In the opening remarks for the children’s Mid-Autumn Festival, the President of the Women’s Association, Ms. Hoàng Bình Minh, explained that the organization holds the Mid-Autumn Festival every year to preserve Vietnamese culture. “In the spirit of preserving the traditions of the Vietnamese people, we are recreating a part of our homeland’s beauty, so that the children born and raised here can celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in a warm atmosphere with their parents and grandparents. We invite those of you born in the previous century to immerse yourselves in memories, recalling your childhood in your homeland, and we hope that the children present today will remember these beautiful memories and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with their parents in the future,” Mrs. Bình Minh Hoàng said.
“We hope that the young people here today will remember the sacrifices of their parents and grandparents in their journey to find freedom so that you can achieve all your dreams in this democratic country. We appreciate your contributions, which have helped make Canada a strong nation, and we wish you a wonderful Mid-Autumn Festival,” Ontario Minister of Education, Mr. Stephen Leece, stated.
Children and their families watched a cultural program with various acts, including solo singing, dances, duets, traditional musical instrument performances by the children themselves and the Vietnamese Youth Cultural Troupe, the young groups from Korea and the Philippines. In addition to the cultural performances, this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival featured lion dances, ao dai contests, lantern contests, face painting, the story of Chú Cuội, sister Hằng, balloon twisting, and the August lantern parade.
The Board of Directors of the Vietnamese Women’s Association of Toronto extended heartfelt thanks to all the staff and volunteers who contributed significantly to the success of the 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival. They also recognized and appreciated all the sponsors and community members who attended and contributed to the joy of the children and teenagers on this special day.