The Taiwan Youth Chamber of Commerce in the San Francisco Bay Area held its 2nd Mid-Autumn Festival “Autumn Madness” carnival at the South Bay Overseas Community Education Center on September 13th (last Saturday), attracting hundreds of participants. The event featured a diverse range of activities, creating a lively atmosphere filled with rich Taiwanese culture.
Numerous renowned Taiwanese food vendors gathered at the event, offering a variety of delicacies such as Shilin Chicken Fillet, Braised Pork Rice, Taiwanese Rice Balls, Big Sausage Wrapped in Small Sausage, Oyster Omelette, Sesame Chicken Noodles, Meat Dumplings, Changhua Rice Cake, Mugwort Vegetable Bun, Taro Cake, Rice Bowls, Grass Jelly Cake, Tea Eggs, Rice Noodles, Taiwanese Sandwiches, Traditional Bento Boxes, as well as various bubble teas, candied fruit skewers, mochi doughnuts, shaved ice, and other snacks and desserts. The array of delectable dishes allowed guests to savor a taste of home.
The carnival also featured multiple performances: Uzumaru from Japan delivered a stunning act; popular local groups like TingTing Band and singers Lingnan and AhaQi showcased guitar performances and original compositions; ShéNove Dance brought energetic K-pop dances to the stage; FASCA youth performed the Monkey King dance, juggling, and diabolo; the Northern California Chinese School Association presented a dance performance of “The Moon Represents My Heart.” Additionally, Matthew Dahlgren and Nico collaborated on Taiwanese pop songs and rock guitar tunes, providing the audience with a visual and auditory treat.
President Robin Tan of the Youth Chamber of Commerce expressed his gratitude for the success of the “Autumn Madness” event, which has gained positive feedback since its inception last year. He thanked supporters from various sectors for their contributions, including Overseas Community Affairs Commissioner Wu Yiming, former president Zhang Jiahao, and the sponsorship of Taiwan’s national airline for the flight ticket raffle. Tan emphasized that the event’s success was a result of teamwork and highlighted members’ outstanding performances in international competitions and youth activities. He encouraged more young Taiwanese individuals to join the chamber to expand their networks through exchanges and collectively enhance the image of Taiwanese youth in the Bay Area. He announced that the official website tjccsfba.org is now live for subscriptions to receive the latest event updates.
Director Zhuang Yashu of the South Bay Overseas Community Education Center pointed out that the Youth Chamber of Commerce has long brought together young entrepreneurial partners, offering a platform for mutual exchange and cooperation. This not only helps expand business opportunities but also provides the best arena for aspiring entrepreneurs to develop their businesses.
Guitarist Matthew Dahlgren shared that he became acquainted with the Youth Chamber of Commerce through his Taiwanese wife and hoped to contribute his talents to everyone and to Taiwan through his performances, welcoming any organizations in need to connect with him. His wife, Fan Lanfang, noted that Matthew, a professional guitarist, was specially invited to add highlights to the carnival with his performance.
In addition to food and performances, the carnival also featured a diverse range of booths, including Silicon Valley Matchmaker, Traditional Chinese Medicine consultations, Dajiyuan Media, Silicon Valley Ayi (childcare), Chinese language schools, Sound of Hope Mini Mart, as well as services for iQiaokan cards provided by the Overseas Education Center and promotion of the six major community platforms by the Overseas Community Commission, attracting numerous overseas Chinese individuals to participate on-site. The most anticipated lucky draw activity heightened the atmosphere, with abundant prizes ensuring that attendees left with a sense of fulfillment. The grand prize, a flight ticket sponsored by Taiwan’s national airline, received enthusiastic applause and cheers from the crowd.