HCM CITY — A variety of entertaining activities to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival have been held across HCM City to bring joy to children on this special occasion.

The HCM City Children’s Cultural House is hosting the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival, with the theme of Gọi Trăng Xuống Chơi (Inviting the Moon to Play), until Friday.

Children can learn to make sweet and savoury mooncakes and enjoy their homemade cakes.

They can participate in workshops on making lanterns, decorating star lanterns, and crafting tò he (toy figurines made of rice dough), which is considered a symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The event also includes an exhibition of lanterns where children and parents can check in and take beautiful photos, a food court, and a folk game zone.

The cultural house’s music and dance clubs offer a mini concert, titled Về Nghe Trăng Kể (Listening to the Moon's Story), featuring favourite songs about the moon and the Mid-Autumn Festival, every night.

The festival takes place from 4pm to 9pm at 4 Tú Xương Street in Xuân Hòa Ward.

Meanwhile, drama troupes in the city have staged new kids’ plays, promising to bring joyful and entertaining moments to children during the festival.

The Ban Mai Stage, one of the city’s leading troupes specialising in kids’ shows, presents two new musicals, Trăng Ơi, Trăng À (Dear Beloved Moon) and Làng Sờ Lay (Marvelous Village), to serve young audiences.

Trăng Ơi, Trăng À on Thursday featured a journey to seek the moonlight, which is stolen by the Night Demon group.

The animals in the forest team up with the Moon Boy, the Moon Fairy, and the Moon Rabbit, who face great challenges to find the moonlight.

The kid audience can experience not only an engaging story but also join the characters on their journey. They can also participate in fun games and answer amusing questions to receive special gifts from the Moon Boy, the Moon Fairy, and the Moon Rabbit.

Làng Sờ Lay, staged today, is set in a mushroom village.

Children from a family with strict parenting and another with positive parenting embark on an adventure into a poisonous mushroom forest.

They are lost in the Spider Demon's cave and forced to overcome their fears, learn to cooperate, apply survival skills, and make their own decisions to rescue each other.

The musical is expected to help children and parents express how to love and protect, and how parents accompany their children on the path of growing up.  

Both shows will begin at 6.30pm at 36 Lê Quý Đôn Street in Xuân Hòa Ward.

The private Quốc Thảo Drama Stage will invite children to explore a magical journey with a new play, Chiếc Đèn Ông Sao – Xuyên Không (The Star Lantern – A Journey through Time).

The young audience will have the opportunity to meet adorable characters, including the Jade Rabbit, the Moon Boy, and the Moon Fairy and immerse themselves in a colourful fairy-tale world.

The play will be staged at 7pm on Thursday and Friday at 70-72 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi Street in Phú Nhuận Ward. — VNS