CABRAMATTA MOON FESTIVAL DAY OUT - PT2 -- 28-9-2025

 

'Brad N Virls' Take on the 

Cabramatta Moon Festival

Part 2

Ah, the Cabramatta Moon Festival — that one glorious day in September when the streets overflow with food, lights, and enough people to make sardines feel like they live spaciously. Officially, it celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival — a time to honour the harvest moon, family, and mooncakes. Unofficially, it’s an excellent excuse to eat until you are borderline about to chunder.

We showed up bright and early (No, I lie as we really slept in like the lazy buggars we are) and were instantly swept into the glorious mayhem that comes with huge crowds. There were sizzling skewers, noodle soups so fragrant they’d make a grown man tear up, and deep-fried everything — if it wasn’t nailed down, someone was dunking it in oil.
Strangely, my first stop was a chemist, which ain't the sort of guff that most people attend the event for.

In between snacks number twelve and thirteen, they tried their luck at carnival games — which, shockingly, did not result in any stuffed toy victories, just mild humiliation. A few questionable rides later (and beginning to think all the food wasn't a wise idea), we stumbled into the shopping stalls, where you could buy anything from bubble tea plushies to fake jade dragons blessed by someone’s cousin.
Though we settled for these skewers with a very small bit of meat, and something called, I think, a Mochi Donut. Both a tad unusual, but enjoyed.

The dragon dancers burst through the crowd next, accompanied by drums that could probably be heard in Bankstown. Then came the live entertainment — singers, dancers.

By the end of the day, we were full, sunburnt, totally buggared, mildly sticky from mystery sauce, and spiritually enlightened — mostly about which stalls give free samples. Truly, a cultural experience for the ages.

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Virl Virl's fancy hat :-)

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and seven below.

Dutton Plaza.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Dutton Plaza (opened 2016) in Cabramatta might be modest in size, but it punches well above its weight in personality. Tucked just off the hustle and bustle of the main strip, it’s the kind of place where you can grab a quick bite, browse a few quirky little shops, and feel like you’ve stumbled into a local secret. It’s not flashy and it doesn’t try to be — Dutton Plaza just quietly gets on with being one of those no-nonsense neighbourhood hubs that keeps Cabramatta ticking along with a smile.

No shortage of good fruit and veg at mostly reasonable prices ........ at least in this day and age.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Above and ten below.

At the Cabramatta Moon Festival, just when you think you’ve already eaten too much and seen it all, in slithers the dragon dance — a riot of colour, noise, and controlled chaos that instantly steals the show. This isn’t your average backyard dragon either; it’s a long, bendy, larger-than-life creature operated by a small army of energetic performers, bobbing its head, flicking its tail, and shimmying through the streets to the thunderous boom-boom of drums. Surrounded by glowing lanterns, buzzing crowds and nonstop action, it’s one of those moments where ancient tradition meets full-tilt festival madness — and everyone absolutely loves it.

Photos: Brad Peadon

So many colours.

A giant bunny who must have thought it was Easter.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Filo Halo-Halo time in BKK.

Photos: Brad Peadon

BKK at Cabramatta was owned by the same family that owned the recently demolished BKK Eastlakes.

Photo: Brad Peadon

The day was near an end and we made our way to Cabramatta station, via some of the rides of course.

Photos: Brad Peadon

BBQ stick time.

Photos: Brad Peadon

The thrilling final installment of this otherwise thoroughly dreary adventure will arrive just as soon as I can locate even the smallest scrap of motivation — which is currently hiding very well. Until then, it remains heroically stuck in development limbo, fuelled by procrastination, half-finished ideas, and the vague promise that I’ll “definitely get to it tomorrow.”

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