WEEKENDER: Mid-Autumn festivities, harbour cruise pop-up restaurant, Israeli cooking class & more

 We’ve landed in your inbox a day early in honour of the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend – so it’s time to shoot the breeze and relax! From cooking classes to harbour cruises (and lots of lanterns and mooncakes thrown in for good measure), here are some ideas and inspiration for your three days away from the grind…

Once in a blue moon
Mid-Autumn Festival is traditionally a time for families and friends to come together and spend some time enjoying each other’s company, yummy mooncakes… and of course, the moon itself! There are plenty of events to keep you busy in the city this holiday, including a huge fair in Victoria Park, a dancing fire dragon in Tai Hang, beautiful lantern carnivals and displays, a Mid-Autumn Market at Hullett House, a Full Moon Party on Palm Beach and much more. Need a one-stop guide to everything you need to know for this festival? Check out Sassy Mama’s Mid-Autumn Round-Up for all the vital information!

When: 19-22 September
Where: All over Hong Kong
How much: Mostly free!

Bags of art
We’re no strangers to the shapes and shades of the iconic Lady Dior bag, but have you ever considered the humble handbag as a form of art? The Lady Dior As Seen By Exhibition has dropped its anchor at Hong Kong’s Pier 4 after successful stop-offs in Milan, Shanghai and Sao Paulo – yep, that is a giant handbag installation you’ve seen stationed at the pier! With over one hundred Dior-inspired works by artists like David Lynch,Chen Man, Jonas Akerlund and Olympia Scarry on display, not to mention limited-edition Lady Dior bags created especially for the exhibition available from Dior’s flagship boutiques in Hong Kong, your eyes are in for a treat!

When: Until 23 September, 11am-9pm
Where: Pier 4, Central, Hong Kong
How much: Free entry

Get your hands dirty
Fancy getting stuck into something a little different this Mid-Autumn weekend? How about trying your hand at cooking up some delish vegetarian Israeli cuisine, thanks to Plantation’s cooking class with Ayelet Idan from Olive Leaf Kitchen? Made with fresh seasonal ingredients and exotic herbs and spices, you’ll learn all the tricks of the trade from Ayelet (who grows the veggies in her own garden in Lamma!) and get to enjoy a scrumptious lunch afterwards too. Or how about some creative soap making workshops instead? Local cosmetics brand JiaPin will be showing you how to make your own unique soap with tea leaves and other natural ingredients, plus you’ll get 15% off JiaPin’s natural serum and hand-made soap products too. One way or another, it’s time to get your aprons out this holiday!

When: Cooking class 20 September, 10am-2pm; soap workshop 21 September (Mandarin & Canto) & 22 September (Mandarin & English), 3-6.30pm
Where: Plantation, Shop B, 1-4 Tai On Terrace, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
How much: $480 per person; to book, call 3482 2660, email [email protected] or register here

Sit down, you’re rocking the boat
What’s better than a luxury yacht? A luxury yacht filled with delicious food and drink! Madame Sixty Ate has come together with Elite Charters for a Cruise Pop Up Harbour Bar and Restaurant every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdayover the next month. On Wednesdays, get ready for an indulgent four course-meal including wine pairings and a welcome cocktail, whilst Thursdays to Saturdays play host to free-flow cocktails, drinks and yummy dinner canapés and snacks – all with an amazing harbour cruise included, of course! Don’t miss out on amazing cocktails designed by Tom Wood (Diageo Bartender of 2012… we’re eyeing his Captain’s Punch!) and of course the amazing sights and lights of Victoria Harbour. It’s yo ho ho and a bottle of rum, Hong Kong-style!

When: Wednesdays 7.30-11.30pm; Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays, 8-11pm (sunset cruises on Sat & Sun 6-9pm, extra 10pm-1am night cruise available on Sat and afternoon cruise at 2-5pm on Sun) until end of October
Where: Central Pier, Central, Hong Kong
How much: Wednesdays $1688 per person, other cruises $900 per person; bookings essential, call 2527 2558 for more info

Couture with a K
Kotur has some of the cutest and most gorgeous clutches around (as seen on Jessica Biel, Anna Dello Russo and Kerry Washington to name just a few), and if you haven’t checked them out yet, here’s a little incentive – the Kotur Annual Sample Sale! Displaying an array of highly covetable clutches, totes and bags with up to 80% off, now’s your chance to glam up your wardrobe and look like a star; you’ll be red carpet ready in no time!

When: Thursday 26 September, 11am-8pm
Where: The Space, 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
How much: Free entry; cash and credit card accepted

Got an event you’d like us to feature in The Weekender, or have a top tip for us? Email us the deets at [email protected].