In same week Parker backs 76 Place, hundreds flock to Chinatown for Mid-Autumn Festival

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Debbie Wei can remember when she, her husband and some friends organized Philadelphia Chinatown’s first-ever Mid-Autumn Festival back in 1996.

It was held in the parking lot of Holy Redeemer Church for older people who missed the celebration back in China.

“We thought like, 50 or 60 people, we went to On Lok House, the senior citizen house, to bring the elders over, and 400 people showed up,” Wei said.

It was then that they realized they had to do a Mid-Autumn Festival every year. And they have.

“It’s really quite moving to see how this act of reclaiming culture can really pull this community together,” she said.

That’s even more important given the ongoing fight against the Sixers arena planned for construction at the nearby Fashion District. Mayor Cherelle Parker announced her support for the plan earlier this week.

Yvonne Lung with Asian Americans United said Parker’s support was like a slap in the face.

“By her saying yes to having this arena being built right next to us, is basically her saying she doesn’t care,” Lung said.

Wei wishes Parker would have made time to come out to the festival.

“I’m sorry she’s missing this and missing the opportunity to see that if you want to revitalize Philadelphia, you need to come here and see what it looks like to revitalize a community.”

An impact report released last month showed the arena could threaten the neighborhood.