There’s plenty to do over this holiday weekend
Via City Press Release/Staff
Kaohsiung is rolling out a full lineup of festivities for the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend, featuring everything from circus performances and hot air balloons to cultural events and night markets. The city government is inviting visitors from across Taiwan to join the celebration and experience Kaohsiung’s lively holiday atmosphere.
One of the most anticipated family events, the 2025 FOCASA Circus Festival, will take place Oct. 3–6 and Oct. 10–12 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center Light Rail Station. Centered around the theme “Circus Sailor Village,” the event will feature three giant circus tents. The outdoor area will be free to enter, while ticketed performances inside the tents will include 101 international shows by troupes from eight countries.
The popular Kaohsiung Love Moon Hot Air Balloon Festival returns to Tianliao’s Moon World from Oct. 4–6, following its earlier Teacher’s Day success that drew over 40,000 visitors. Balloons will lift off twice daily — from 6 to 8 a.m. and 4 to 5:30 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to use public transportation and monitor traffic along Provincial Highway 28.
For music lovers, Kaohsiung Station’s B1 Central Sunken Plaza will host its first-ever Mid-Autumn Concert on Oct. 4 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., featuring introductions to six major public art pieces, including “Seeing Time” and “Hearing Steam.”
The Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural Museum in Sanmin District will present “Baby Hakka Dream GO!” on Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering DIY puppet workshops, indigo dyeing, street dance, and a live performance by Golden Melody Award-winning singer Lin Sheng-xiang (林生祥).
In Gangshan District, the historic Gangshan Basket Fair (籃籗會) — a 200-year-old tradition — will hold its Mid-Autumn edition from 6 p.m. Oct. 4 to midnight Oct. 5 along Hehua Road and Julun Road, featuring food stalls, plant markets, and farm tool displays.
Meanwhile, the Kaohsiung Music Center’s Wave Tower Plaza will host the “Yuzu Season – Mid-Autumn Market” from Oct. 4–6, and the Pier-2 Art Center will feature multiple creative markets, including Strolling Travelers Market and Outsiders Market.
