Moon cakes, dragon and lion dances, a parade, food and craft vendors, and fun stuff to keep the keiki occupied will be part of the third annual Moon Festival starting Friday at Chinatown Cultural Plaza.

Staged by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and the United Chinese Society of Hawaii, the event is free and open to the public.

“A lot of times, organizations in the community don’t always collaborate and work together. This is one of those projects where we thought it was a nice way to collaborate, and kind of maximize the resources of both organizations,” said event chairman Leonard Kam.

The moon festival is essentially a harvest festival common to agrarian societies around the world. Chinese farmers would give thanks for a good harvest and for the bountiful yields of their crops, Kam said, but he added: “It also celebrates the moon goddess. There’s a love story. There’s always a love story.”

Legend has it that Hou Yi, the great warrior who shot nine of Earth’s 10 suns out of the sky, making life bearable, was rewarded with an elixir that would make him immortal. He gave it to his wife Chang’e for safekeeping.

A ruffian demanded the elixir of immortality from Chang’e while her husband was away, and, knowing she would not be able to defend the elixir, she drank it and was immediately taken up into the heavens. Her heartbroken husband, looking up at the moon, saw her there. He offered her favorite cakes at an altar and prayed for blessings from heaven, and that is one account of the popularity of moon cakes at this time of year.

Moon cakes, made with lotus paste or red bean paste, are dense and sweet and take time to eat, under normal circumstances. At the Moon Festival at 4 p.m. Saturday, though, the person who wins the moon cake eating contest will win a year’s supply of Pepsi. Pepsi prizes of six-month and three-month supplies also are in store for the second- and third-place winners.

Cultural exhibits, activities for children and food booths will fill the festival following Friday’s 5 p.m. opening ceremony.

Friday and Saturday there will be live entertainment, lion dances and martial arts performances, with a lantern parade each evening at 8 p.m.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, Won Kee Restaurant will host a special moon cake and tea pairing event as part of the festival, though a separate, $25 per-person admission fee is required. Tickets can be obtained by calling 533-3181.