Autumn Moon Festival

Watch the titular orb rise over Staten Island’s Chinese Scholar’s Garden, which will be decked out in honor of this harvest celebration. Walk through paper-lantern–lined paths and enjoy traditional dance performances, as well as tales about the holiday’s 3,000-year-old origins and the lunar goddess, Chang E. Guests can chow down on Chinese fare such as egg rolls, pork fried rice and moon cakes, while a cooking demonstration will use vegetables grown on the island’s Heritage Farm in a stir fry. Proceeds from this year’s fete benefit efforts to restore the 13-year-old garden.