Saigon weekend: dumpling festival, mooncake workshop and more

Dumpling festival

On Saturday, dumpling lovers will have a chance to enjoy a variety of dumplings at the Saigon Dumpling Festival, a one-day event presented by FTWR and Saigon Outcast.

A poster for Saigon Dumpling Festival. Photo courtesy of FTWR.Co - Follow The White Rabbit

The event will feature vendors offering their signature dumplings and drinks. The highlight of the event will be the award ceremony for the "DOPEST DUMPLING." The award will recognize the best dumpling in terms of taste, presentation, and creativity.

The Saigon Dumpling Festival will take place from noon to 10 p.m. at Saigon Outcast, at 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong Street, District 2.

Autumn market

Soma Saigon is going to hold the SOMA AUTUMN MARKET, a two-day event featuring local vendors showcasing diverse products. The market offers fashion, home decor, art, and artisanal chocolate. Additional offerings include wellness services, vintage items, storage solutions, and handmade candles.

A poster for the Autumn Market event. Photo courtesy of Soma Saigon

The event is scheduled on September 9 and 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Soma Saigon, at 6 Le Van Mien Street, District 2.

Dinner event: Anan x Nusara

This weekend, Saigon's Anan restaurant will host a culinary experience where Chef Ton and Chef Peter will collaborate to create a memorable 10-course menu. Chef Ton, whose restaurants Le Du and Nusara rank #1 and #3 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2023, draws inspiration from his grandmother. Chef Peter, creator of Anan Saigon which one a Michelin star in June, finds his culinary muse in his mother's small noodle shop in central hill town Da Lat.

The event is scheduled on September 9 and 10 at 6 p.m. Tickets are priced at VND3.9 million ($162) and include wine pairings by Daloc Wines.

Vegetarian mooncakes workshop

The Mid-Autumn Festival, which will peak around the end of this month, is often referred to as the festival of love as it evokes cherished memories of families coming together to enjoy tea and cakes.

Sivananda Yoga Center is hosting a workshop where you can learn the art of making vegetarian mooncakes. During the class, you'll receive step-by-step guidance, from selecting ingredients and following recipes to the entire process of crafting, shaping, and baking vegetarian mooncakes using natural ingredients.

Vegetarian mooncakes. Photo courtesy of Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center

The event is scheduled on September 10, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Sivananda Yoga center at 25 Tran Quy Khoach Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1.

The registration fees, inclusive of materials, are VND360,000 ($15) per person for non-members and VND300,000 per person for members.

Fundraising lantern workshops

Vietnamese Language Studies (VLS) is conducting a series of lantern making workshops as part of the 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival program. These workshops are designed to provide participants with hands-on experience in crafting paper lanterns while imparting knowledge about the festival's cultural significance.

A poster for the lantern making workshops at Vietnamese Language Studies.

All proceeds from these workshops will support VLS's fundraising efforts for the 2023 Mid-Autumn Charity Program, which includes various charitable activities such as installing water filtration systems, setting up solar street lights, recycling initiatives, and providing gifts and school supplies to underprivileged children.

You can register for the workshops at either one of two campuses: 45 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, District 1, or 82 Nam Phuoc Le Jardin, C Street, District 7.

They are available on September 9, 10, 13, 14 and 16, 17. The registration fee for each lantern is VND110,000 ($4.50) per person.