Episode 61: Autumn Moon Festival: Celebrating Asian Cultures

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Mall of America. For more than 30 years, it has been a retail leader and an international

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER_00]: destination, and it remains the largest mall in the U.S. Not to mention it welcomes millions

[00:00:10] [SPEAKER_00]: of guests from around the world. It's huge, but it's also so much more. In this podcast,

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER_00]: you're going to hear the real stories of how it started and why it continues to thrive.

[00:00:20] [SPEAKER_00]: You'll hear about challenges we faced along the way and what you can learn from them.

[00:00:25] [SPEAKER_00]: We will feature guests and experts from all walks of life and business,

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_00]: and along the way, you'll laugh, learn, and maybe even change the way you look at things.

[00:00:33] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you're a fan of the mall, a brand new visitor, an entrepreneur, or a dreamer,

[00:00:38] [SPEAKER_00]: prepare to dive deep into So Much More. This podcast is presented by the Bloomington

[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_04]: Convention and Visitors Bureau. Welcome to So Much More. I am your host today, Jill Renslow,

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_04]: and I have my ever so popular co-host, Dan Jasper. Welcome, Dan. Hi, Jill.

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_04]: And we have two lovely ladies joining us today. It is turning to the fall, and so we're super

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_04]: excited to be hosting the Autumn Moon Festival here at Mall of America coming up this weekend.

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_04]: So we definitely wanted to have a guest with us, Shellyann Law, who is the emcee for AMCO.

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_04]: Probably wonder what that stands for. It's the Alliance of Minnesota Chinese Organizations,

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_04]: and she works with our Chinese partners and our Asian community to help us bring together the

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_04]: Autumn Moon Festival. So we're super excited to talk about those details and encourage people to

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_04]: come out. We also have Trisha Sin, who is the owner of one of our newest stores here at Mall

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_04]: of America called The Treats Cereal Bar and Boba Tea. We talked about it a couple of weeks ago as

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_04]: one of our new tenants, and we're excited to have her here because she has some beautiful beverages

[00:01:40] [SPEAKER_04]: for us to talk about and to encourage everyone to check that out when they're out here for the

[00:01:44] [SPEAKER_04]: Autumn Moon Festival. So welcome, ladies. Thank you.

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_04]: Love it. Well, we're going to talk to both of you separately a little bit to learn about your

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_04]: background, and then we'll bring it all together as far as we talk about the Asian community and

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_04]: how important it is to embrace everyone that visits Mall of America because we love that.

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_04]: So Shellyann, let's start with you. And as far as you really helped us bring a lot of events to life

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_04]: here at the mall based on your involvement in the community, I think it started with the Lunar New

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_04]: Year celebration that we typically host in the first part of the year and now with the Autumn

[00:02:16] [SPEAKER_04]: Moon Festival. So tell us a little bit about how you got started with Mall of America, what your

[00:02:20] [SPEAKER_01]: connections are. Yeah, definitely. I started with those events starting 2018. So almost six years

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_01]: ago. It's hard to believe. Pre-COVID. Yes. Normal time, right? But the events at Mall of America

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_01]: started in 2016 and we had twice events every year like you mentioned. Lunar New Year or usually

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER_01]: early February or end of January at that time, which is a two-day event, Saturday and Sunday,

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_01]: five hours every day. And then next week we'll have our annual Moon Festival celebration, which

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_01]: is next Saturday, on Saturday, September 14th. Yeah, we have that event twice a year since, like I said,

[00:03:02] [SPEAKER_01]: 2016, and we even didn't stop during COVID. Only in 2020-11 for Lunar New Year celebration we had

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_01]: online also. But first I want to say thank you to Mall of America for giving us this great opportunity

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_01]: because every time when I stand on the stage, I really appreciate what a beautiful place, you know,

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_01]: what a great opportunity for us to bring the culture and all the beautiful performances to all

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_01]: the audience, all the visitors to Mall of America. We want to say thank you. Oh, well we love having

[00:03:33] [SPEAKER_04]: you involved in that event coming up this Saturday. And that's a great exploration and exhibit of

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER_04]: all the cultural traditions and celebrations and ceremonies. And one of my favorites is the

[00:03:46] [SPEAKER_04]: Dragon Dance that takes place. Yes. And this is in the Huntington Bank Rotunda, so you have a nice big

[00:03:51] [SPEAKER_04]: space for you to set up. So what are some of your favorite elements of the event? Definitely like

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_01]: you mentioned, Dragon Dance and Line Dance. And I want to, you know, share a little bit of surprise

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_01]: to you. And this year we will have both, both Dragon Dance and Line Dance on the stage. Yeah, so please

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_01]: don't miss that. And besides that, of course, every year, you know, we have all traditional music

[00:04:12] [SPEAKER_01]: instruments. We have Chinese dancing. We have singing and martial arts, all you can imagine.

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_01]: And also besides the Chinese culture performances, we also bring a lot of Asian performances. Like I

[00:04:26] [SPEAKER_01]: said, it's, you know, it's an immigration country. So we brought all Asian cultures together. And in

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_01]: last few years, we brought Vietnamese, South Korea. And this year we have Japanese joining us,

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Thai, you know, all those cultures on the stage as well. So not only, you know, Chinese performance,

[00:04:44] [SPEAKER_01]: you can see all various good talents on the stage. I love it. And when you, you know, you're not only

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_04]: an emcee for the event that's here at Mall of America, you've actually been out in the community

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_04]: quite a bit and the face for your community. What are some of those other events or locations that

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_04]: you get the opportunity to emcee at? And what are some of your favorites?

[00:05:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, like I said, I'm a director of public relations for the MCAL. And besides Mall of America events,

[00:05:11] [SPEAKER_01]: other big ones, Minnesota Orchestra. We started three years ago. We work with them to have,

[00:05:19] [SPEAKER_01]: again, put together a culture performances for the for the Lunar New Year. That is,

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_01]: like as we started three years ago. And then besides that, we also have

[00:05:31] [SPEAKER_01]: events working with Target Center for NBA games for the halftime show.

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's also around the Lunar New Year time. Okay. Yeah. Besides that, my,

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_01]: myself, I also involved with Asian Fair. We start in Plymouth where I live with West Metro.

[00:05:48] [SPEAKER_01]: That is, we started last year. So this is the second year annual events.

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_04]: Great. Well, Dan, I know you've attended a lot of these events we've hosted at

[00:05:55] [SPEAKER_04]: the mall before. What are some of your favorite elements?

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I have and I actually live very near Hilde Performance Center in Plymouth.

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_02]: So I need to come and see your event up there as well. And for people that are listening and

[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_02]: perhaps not watching us on YouTube, I have to just talk about your outfit really quickly,

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_02]: which is absolutely beautiful. I don't know if that's traditional dress. Very colorful.

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER_02]: And reds and blues and flowers. And I think one of the things that I love most about these events

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_02]: when you host them at Mall of America are some of the traditional outfits that the performers wear.

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_01]: Can you talk about those a little bit? Yeah, definitely. I mean, what I wear is

[00:06:35] [SPEAKER_01]: called qipao. It's a traditional dress for Chinese women. I always wear those events because again,

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_01]: I want to represent my culture. I want to share the beauty with whoever visit us. Yeah,

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_01]: also over Mall of America stage, we have those fashion shows as well. And this year we will have

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_01]: also fashion shows. I will leave that. Hope you guys will come over on the site to watch it.

[00:07:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we like as all the cultures when they come to perform, of course, they will have their own

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_01]: costumes. It's all beautiful and it's all colorful. I want to tell you that.

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. Right. When we celebrate,

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_02]: it won't be colorful. Yes. And it's beautiful. The colors are beautiful. And of course, we have

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_02]: the decor hanging in the rotunda, the giant lanterns. So it's a very festive occasion for

[00:07:22] [SPEAKER_02]: everybody, for all of our guests. And one of the things that I love too are the large crowds that

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_02]: stop and watch this event. Do your performers ever talk about what that means to them?

[00:07:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Oh yeah, definitely. And I know every like Lunar New Year last in the 2024 New Year,

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_01]: I know it's a very big success after pandemic people really come out because I know last two

[00:07:46] [SPEAKER_01]: years are kind of not that many people show up because people still have worries. But this year

[00:07:52] [SPEAKER_01]: in 2024, we really had a good turnout. And I noticed when I was on the stage, you know,

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_01]: on all the floors, I saw people crowds come and go. There's it's always all the chairs were taken

[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_01]: this year. And I was told, you know, every celebration around this time, either New Year

[00:08:10] [SPEAKER_01]: or Moon Festival, we will bring like 130,000 to 150,000 people to the mall.

[00:08:16] [SPEAKER_01]: Which is wonderful. That is three and four times of the normal visits. So that is very amazing.

[00:08:21] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we want people bring them to the North America to, you know, watch our show and of

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_01]: course to shop, to go eat. You got to do that. To do yeah. And have treats.

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_04]: Eating great transition. I love that. I was gonna say we have music, we have festival attire,

[00:08:38] [SPEAKER_04]: but we need food as well. Food is a staple of celebration, right? So we have to shift over to

[00:08:42] [SPEAKER_04]: Tricia. We want to hear all about your location. So again, I said, you have the Treat Cereal Bar

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_04]: and Boba Tea and you are located on the kind of Northeast corner on level three. And you haven't

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_04]: been here very long, but we absolutely love having you here. And hopefully you've enjoyed being a

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER_04]: new tenant at Mall of America. So we would love to hear about your story because you now have

[00:09:02] [SPEAKER_04]: multiple locations and so we're excited to be part of your portfolio and so we'd love to hear

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_03]: your story. Sure. Thank you, Jill. Thank you for having me here. First time here at the Mall of

[00:09:11] [SPEAKER_03]: America podcast. So my partner, Min and I started Treat Cereal Bar and Boba back in 2019, right

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_03]: before COVID. Our first location was on Grand Avenue. And then we opened at Blaine location

[00:09:25] [SPEAKER_03]: across the street from the National Sports Center. 2024 this year, we opened the North Loop Minneapolis

[00:09:31] [SPEAKER_03]: in March and the fourth location here at the Mall of America in June. So a lot happening this year.

[00:09:38] [SPEAKER_03]: It's been amazing. It's definitely different than a traditional store. It's so, so crazy over the

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_03]: weekend with special events and my goodness, it's crazy good. Yes, crazy good. And like Dan was

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_03]: saying, people literally stop and just look and it's just so much happening. And I think these

[00:09:55] [SPEAKER_03]: events really, really help bring in the crowd and really draw diversity. I love that Mall of America

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_03]: really have diversity, whether it's food or events or retail. So it's just been great. And we're

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_03]: super excited for the peak season coming soon with the Black Friday and the Christmas and the New

[00:10:13] [SPEAKER_04]: Year. So we're the new baby here. And this wasn't your first career path. You started somewhere very

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_04]: different and took a turn. So tell us a little bit about that. Sure. So both Minh and I actually came

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_03]: from a financial background. So I was a store manager for the bank and I transitioned to a

[00:10:33] [SPEAKER_03]: mortgage rep for a specialized in relocation. And to be honest with you, I would never think that

[00:10:40] [SPEAKER_03]: I would do food business. So my family also are entrepreneurs. My parents used to own a restaurant,

[00:10:47] [SPEAKER_03]: the Vietnamese restaurant on the university. And Minh and I always want to do business together,

[00:10:52] [SPEAKER_03]: but we're like, we're not going to do food because it is just intense hours. Like they're always at

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_03]: the restaurant and we always remember we're always stuck at the restaurant. But you know,

[00:11:02] [SPEAKER_03]: food runs in my family. We love, love food. Like, you know, as our Asian culture, we always have a

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_03]: lot of food, a lot of different specialty drinks. And so, you know, we got to love what we do. So

[00:11:15] [SPEAKER_03]: we ended up opening a cereal bar in Boba. So cereal bar, it's cereal infused ice cream. So

[00:11:21] [SPEAKER_03]: it's very nostalgic and I feel like it's such a relatable topic, right? Everyone eats cereal

[00:11:26] [SPEAKER_03]: in America, whether you eat healthy cereals or the fruit, you know, or the sweeter ones.

[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, we're all over the cinnamon toast crunch and Captain Crunch for sure.

[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_03]: All the sugar, bring it on. Yeah. So then, and I literally drink

[00:11:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Boba every day. I really do. So, you know, everyone needs their Starbucks every day. I

[00:11:44] [SPEAKER_03]: need my Boba every day. And so we're adding Boba into the brand and it's just really cool to see

[00:11:51] [SPEAKER_03]: Boba being so popular nowadays, especially associated with the Moon Festival. So like

[00:11:57] [SPEAKER_03]: I've seen nowadays that Boba is really everywhere and with the Mooncake, right? It's a solid Boba

[00:12:05] [SPEAKER_03]: tea. So some of the flavors are such like the taro, the brown sugar Boba, and also the black

[00:12:11] [SPEAKER_03]: tapioca Boba are inside the Mooncake fillings. And so it's such a fun twist, you know? So

[00:12:19] [SPEAKER_03]: this Saturday, if you guys visit the event, please come get Boba.

[00:12:24] [SPEAKER_03]: All immersive experience. You have to have it all.

[00:12:27] [SPEAKER_04]: So the components of the cereal, the ice cream, the Boba tea, like those are just

[00:12:33] [SPEAKER_04]: components that you've grown up with that were important for you to bring together. Because

[00:12:37] [SPEAKER_04]: I think that's a unique combination to bring forward for a food offering. And that's what

[00:12:41] [SPEAKER_04]: we're looking for all the time. We're looking for unique concepts to differentiate Mall of

[00:12:45] [SPEAKER_04]: America so you can't find it anywhere else. Granted, you have a couple locations in the

[00:12:48] [SPEAKER_04]: Twin Cities, but it's a very unique combination. And so it sounds like that comes from your family

[00:12:53] [SPEAKER_04]: upbringing and just elements that are important to you. Is that correct?

[00:12:56] [SPEAKER_04]: Yes, that is. Thank you, Jill.

[00:12:58] [SPEAKER_04]: That's awesome.

[00:12:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I have a question. So you grew up eating cereal. And when you eat all the cereal and

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_02]: there's some milk left, do you use a spoon or do you slurp it out of the bowl?

[00:13:07] [SPEAKER_02]: I slurp it all up.

[00:13:08] [SPEAKER_02]: You gotta slurp, right?

[00:13:09] [SPEAKER_03]: I slurp it all up.

[00:13:11] [SPEAKER_02]: That's what I do too. I gotta just slurp them.

[00:13:14] [SPEAKER_02]: That's the best part.

[00:13:15] [SPEAKER_02]: Because it's got the sugar from the cereal in there, right?

[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_05]: Right, right.

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_02]: And that actually is what their treats taste like. I actually just a half an hour ago had

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_02]: the brown sugar Boba.

[00:13:26] [SPEAKER_04]: Quick research, I'm assuming.

[00:13:27] [SPEAKER_04]: You gotta do it, right?

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_04]: Absolutely.

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_02]: It's what I do for my job. That's all I'm saying. And it was amazing. It was so good with the milk

[00:13:36] [SPEAKER_02]: and the Boba. And, oh, I have dibs on probably, I think this one right here.

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER_04]: These look amazing.

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER_04]: I know.

[00:13:43] [SPEAKER_04]: It's absolutely amazing. If they taste anything close to what they look like, they're amazing.

[00:13:47] [SPEAKER_04]: So I would love both of you to share with us a story of an experience that you've had here at

[00:13:52] [SPEAKER_04]: the mall, hopefully with other customers or the engagements that you've had with fans that have

[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_04]: come to shows or customers that have come to your location, some fun memories or experiences that

[00:14:03] [SPEAKER_04]: you've had so far here at the mall. If you have a story to share with us, if anything comes to mind.

[00:14:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, sure. For me, like you mentioned, the fans, after each performance, even though I'm exhausted,

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_01]: always a few people will stop by and ask us, when will be your next performance?

[00:14:21] [SPEAKER_01]: And they won't put it on their calendar. And they share how they love our show,

[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_01]: how they love the Dragon Dance, Lion Dance, all the other performances.

[00:14:29] [SPEAKER_01]: So that's really give me a big encouragement. Yeah, I can't wait to do the next one,

[00:14:34] [SPEAKER_01]: even though I'm really tired. Yeah, that's a really fun experience I have here.

[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_04]: That is great. I mean, you guys draw amazing crowds and you had mentioned before the multiple layers.

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_04]: And we hear that all the time from performers, that it's so different. It's not just looking

[00:14:48] [SPEAKER_04]: out to the crowd that's on the floor, but the fact that you get to look up and see

[00:14:51] [SPEAKER_04]: all the fans cheering you on and bringing them so much joy and excitement. So you see

[00:14:56] [SPEAKER_04]: those major crowds that come when you guys perform because it's not only entertaining,

[00:15:00] [SPEAKER_04]: but it's unique and it really brings a cultural edge and entertainment that they don't get a

[00:15:04] [SPEAKER_04]: chance to see every day. So we really appreciate that. Yeah, definitely. And another special

[00:15:08] [SPEAKER_01]: experience with Mall of America compared to regular stage is because Mall of America is the

[00:15:13] [SPEAKER_01]: biggest mall in United States, right? At least so like the audience is different. It's not like a

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_01]: regular show. You sit, you perform and you have the same people sitting there from beginning to

[00:15:24] [SPEAKER_01]: end. But at Mall of America, people come and go. So which means we bring the show or the experience

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_01]: to more people if we do it here. So that's another reason I really want to really appreciate. Yeah,

[00:15:37] [SPEAKER_01]: we have this opportunity. We want to keep it going for years.

[00:15:40] [SPEAKER_04]: I love that. Trisha, any stories that you would love to share?

[00:15:43] [SPEAKER_03]: Yes. So not too long ago because we're a new baby here. So recently I ran into

[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_03]: a customer from overseas and you know, Mall of America is the destination at

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER_03]: Minnesota. And one of the customer was like, wow, I seen boba shops, but this looks very,

[00:16:02] [SPEAKER_03]: very different because we have seal infused ice cream and it's just very modern. And they just

[00:16:07] [SPEAKER_03]: felt like they were touched. They were related. They were able to find the connection right away

[00:16:12] [SPEAKER_03]: within the Mall of America. So I feel like having that diversity at the mall, it's so huge. And

[00:16:18] [SPEAKER_03]: thank you so much for allowing treats to be here at the Mall of America and for small business like

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_03]: us, it's really a dream come true to have a space at the Mall of America. So thank you for the

[00:16:29] [SPEAKER_04]: opportunity. Absolutely. And we started our relationship with you guys a year ago. We had

[00:16:34] [SPEAKER_04]: a special marketing promotion where we actually went out into the community and that was before

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_04]: you guys were here, before we were even talking to you. And it was a great relationship builder

[00:16:42] [SPEAKER_04]: right out of the gate when we did the marketing promotion in your space. And I think that was

[00:16:45] [SPEAKER_03]: the one on Grand Avenue. Grand Avenue. It was the Mall of America takeover. So you guys came

[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_03]: over to our store, took over and it was just so fun. It was a great turnout. And so I think that

[00:16:54] [SPEAKER_03]: relationship really helped us with a space at the Mall of America. Yeah, I love it. And it was

[00:17:00] [SPEAKER_02]: takeover in the very best sense of the word, right? It was we treated customers to your wonderful

[00:17:06] [SPEAKER_02]: treats and drinks and everything. But you brought up something Trish that I think is really

[00:17:11] [SPEAKER_02]: important as well. You both actually talked about diversity and from both when you're giving

[00:17:15] [SPEAKER_02]: performances, but also from the tenant mix and the customer mix here at Mall of America.

[00:17:21] [SPEAKER_02]: When people think of Mall of America far too often they think big brands that that's what's at

[00:17:26] [SPEAKER_02]: Mall of America. But really we have lots of small entrepreneurs. And what is it like Trish to come

[00:17:34] [SPEAKER_02]: here as an entrepreneur? You've already opened three shops, but what was it different here?

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Hopefully you got support from our team and everything all along the way, but what was that

[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_03]: experience? It's great. It's very different. So I would compare the major difference is that a

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_03]: traditional store, the traffic already have the intention of coming into your space to order a

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_03]: product. At Mall of America is really the events that bring in the crowd. It's really the, you know,

[00:18:03] [SPEAKER_03]: special Nickelodeon, different events, things like that shows that really draws a big crowd. I mean

[00:18:10] [SPEAKER_03]: over the weekend, many weekends I come in, I'm like, wow, this is insane. You know, like where

[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_03]: did all these people come from? Like the events that you will be hosting here this Saturday. And

[00:18:19] [SPEAKER_03]: I feel like that's why we're here is the traffic, is the people and able to share something new and

[00:18:26] [SPEAKER_03]: very different like the cereal infused ice cream. And I feel like that's going to really make it

[00:18:31] [SPEAKER_03]: memorable for the people that are traveling from all over the world to the Mall of America.

[00:18:35] [SPEAKER_04]: So you have to share what is your top seller for your cereal infused ice cream. So we all know what

[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_03]: to get when we go up there. Absolutely. One of our top seller is the Crisp and Cream with,

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_03]: so that one's like cookies and cream. It has oreo cookies, cookie crisp cereal and Snickers

[00:18:50] [SPEAKER_03]: mixed inside. Yeah. So you definitely have to try that one. But one of my favorites is also

[00:18:56] [SPEAKER_03]: the Banana Gram. So it's honey bunches of oats, honey nut Cheerios, real bananas and some Nutella.

[00:19:02] [SPEAKER_04]: Mm, this is really good. Sounds delicious. I think we need to make a little dessert stuff.

[00:19:08] [SPEAKER_04]: Well, what's great is not only are you a new tenant of ours that really showcases ownership

[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_04]: from the Asian community, but we also have added some other great brands to the mix,

[00:19:19] [SPEAKER_04]: which we're excited about. And hopefully people can check out when they come see

[00:19:21] [SPEAKER_04]: the event this weekend. But that includes, and hopefully you guys have checked these out as well,

[00:19:26] [SPEAKER_04]: but Ibitsu, Kura Sushi, Beard Papa's, Banchan, Ichido Ramen and Master Noodle. So we've had a

[00:19:33] [SPEAKER_04]: great lineup of Asian ownership or base brands that we have added to our mix, which has just really,

[00:19:40] [SPEAKER_04]: you know, diversified our assortment and also bringing in a unique customer mix,

[00:19:46] [SPEAKER_04]: which we really appreciate. So hopefully you guys have checked those out, but I would love

[00:19:50] [SPEAKER_04]: for you to finish out the show today by sharing more about the Autumn Moon Festival and what that

[00:19:55] [SPEAKER_04]: means to your culture and what we can learn about some of the elements that we're going to be seeing

[00:20:00] [SPEAKER_04]: and experiencing from the entertainment to the attire and the costuming to just the meaning

[00:20:07] [SPEAKER_04]: behind it, because it is the 15th of September, correct? So it's always, it might not always land

[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_04]: on that. So explain to that, like the timing of the event and the important elements that come

[00:20:19] [SPEAKER_01]: across and what people will experience. Yeah, definitely. I will start first. So Moon Festival,

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_01]: or we can call it Mid-Autumn Festival, like you said, it's based on the lunar calendar.

[00:20:31] [SPEAKER_01]: It's August 15th. So based on lunar calendar, every 15th of the month, the moon is the roundest,

[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_01]: brightest, but we believe in August 15th per lunar calendar, the moon is the roundest, brightest,

[00:20:46] [SPEAKER_01]: the most beautiful of the year. And we celebrate, just think about the round moon, it's a symbolized

[00:20:54] [SPEAKER_01]: family reunion. So I always would tell people, you know, Moon Festival, it's kind of like

[00:21:01] [SPEAKER_01]: Americans Thanksgiving. What do you think about Thanksgiving? What do you think about?

[00:21:05] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, you go back home, no matter how far you are, you go back to reunite with your family,

[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_01]: you have a big family dinner. That's what we do. And of course, this is a harvest season as well,

[00:21:17] [SPEAKER_01]: because it's fall season and we celebrate the harvest as well. So that's fantastic. Trisha,

[00:21:23] [SPEAKER_04]: anything specific that you guys do to celebrate the festival? So you probably have more accurate

[00:21:29] [SPEAKER_03]: effects on the festival. But for me, from my experience, I can definitely relate to what she

[00:21:34] [SPEAKER_03]: was sharing. So for the holiday, all the siblings get together, we eat, we cook. It's exactly like

[00:21:40] [SPEAKER_03]: Thanksgiving. And we always make sure that we have tea along with the mooncake, like that just

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_02]: finishes it. So you need to, I actually did some research, you need to describe for those who

[00:21:50] [SPEAKER_02]: aren't from your culture, what the mooncake is, what does it look like? And what does it taste

[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_03]: like if you would? For me, I feel so it's round, and I feel like it tastes very similar to American

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_03]: fruitcake. Like those, I don't know what the exact name of it, but it's like a fruitcake.

[00:22:11] [SPEAKER_03]: It's kind of dense. It's baked usually. And it has a lot of like fruit flavors or like bean usually.

[00:22:21] [SPEAKER_03]: And it has some nice herbs in there. Sometimes birdnest, sometimes special nuts like almonds

[00:22:29] [SPEAKER_03]: or cashews a lot of times. Yeah, walnuts. So that's my experience of mooncake. But I'm sure

[00:22:36] [SPEAKER_01]: there's more different traditional ones. Right, right. We have all kinds of mooncakes, but it's

[00:22:42] [SPEAKER_01]: it's round, of course, as you can imagine, symbolize the moon. And it's a thin crust,

[00:22:49] [SPEAKER_01]: but it has fillings inside. For the fillings, you can basically feel whatever you want. But

[00:22:54] [SPEAKER_01]: the traditional, of course, we always use sweets because again, for the holiday,

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_01]: we want to symbolize we have a sweet life. Of course, it's a because it's a treat. We

[00:23:07] [SPEAKER_01]: want it to be sweet because we eat after like a snack. But yeah, so mooncake is a must-have

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_01]: dessert on the Moon Festival. In our culture, we always celebrate the holidays with special food.

[00:23:21] [SPEAKER_01]: So it's eating like Trisha mentioned, food is a very important role in our culture.

[00:23:27] [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah. Well, count us in. I definitely want to whenever there's food involved and I are there.

[00:23:33] [SPEAKER_04]: I love it. Well, Trisha and Shelly, thank you so much for joining us. You have been a delight.

[00:23:38] [SPEAKER_04]: I've learned a ton. I'm super excited for the festival this weekend. And for those of you that

[00:23:42] [SPEAKER_04]: want to come out, it is in the Huntington Bank Rotunda, Saturday, September 14th from 1230 to

[00:23:48] [SPEAKER_04]: 530. So come join us, celebrate with us and also make sure to swing by the Treats Cereal Bar in

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_04]: Boba Tea, which is located on the East Side Level 3. Stop by and say hi to Trisha and her brother

[00:24:00] [SPEAKER_04]: and enjoy all the wonderful things that Mall of America has to offer. So until we see you next

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_04]: time, thanks so much for tuning into So Much More. Thank you for tuning in to today's episode

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