THOUSAND OAKS, CA. – A Chinese Moon Festival Celebration Concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, in Samuelson Chapel at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

Musicians will present a free evening of traditional Chinese and Western music. Featured local groups are the Pacific Pearl Symphony Orchestra, Yang Sheng Choir, Dancing String Chamber and Thousand Oaks Chinese Folk Ensemble. Special guest vocalist Li Zhang, who recently moved from Beijing, will also perform.

The Chinese Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is an important holiday in the Chinese culture that has been celebrated for thousands of years. Chinese people believe that on that day the moon is the roundest and brightest, signaling a time of completeness and abundance. It is a celebration of the harvest season and a day of family reunions, much like Thanksgiving in the United States. Traditionally, family and friends get together to admire the moon and eat moon cakes. The legend associated with the festival recounts the story of a beautiful woman named Chang E who flew to the moon and has lived there ever since.

The doors will open at 7 p.m. Samuelson Chapel is located south of Olsen Road near Campus Drive.

CLU's Department of Languages and Cultures and Office of Multicultural Programs and International Student Services, as well as the Pacific Pearl Music Association, are presenting the concert. For more information, contact Tim Proffitt at ppmamusic@gmail.com or (805) 231-5409.