Los Angeles
Where to Buy Mooncakes in the San Gabriel Valley
Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 25 this year: order early
Mid-Autumn Festival lands on Friday, September 25 in 2026, and mooncake season in the San Gabriel Valley starts well before it. The good boxes (lotus seed paste with double yolk, the tins people actually give as gifts) get reserved weeks ahead, and the dedicated bakeries sell out of their best runs before the supermarkets have even finished stocking. There are three ways to buy. Dedicated Chinese bakeries make the traditional baked mooncakes and take pre-orders for gift tins, which is what you want if the box is going to a relative or a business contact. Supermarkets stock a wide range of imported brands from mid-August, which is the practical option for eating rather than gifting. And Taiwanese bakeries carry the lighter, flakier styles alongside the Cantonese standard. A note on ordering: if you need a specific flavor or a gift box, call ahead rather than showing up. Availability moves fast in September, varies by year, and the counter staff will know what's actually coming in.
99 Ranch Market
From mid-August the supermarket route opens up: a dedicated aisle of imported gift boxes across the major Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and mainland brands. The widest selection at the lowest effort, and the right choice when you're buying to eat rather than to give.
Hong Kong Supermarket
Strong Cantonese and Hong Kong brand coverage in the seasonal aisle. Check here if you're after a specific Hong Kong label the other markets haven't stocked.
99 Ranch Market
Rowland Heights branch: same seasonal selection, considerably easier parking than the western SGV markets during September.