Honolulu's Narcissus Pageant is recruiting young Chinese women for its next cycle as Chinatown celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival today — a positive community story for Hawaii's Chinese community and anyone looking to reconnect with their heritage.

• The pageant is a cultural program, not just a beauty contest, with free classes on Chinese heritage plus training in poise, public speaking, and interviews.
• Contestants gain confidence and build personal and professional networks within the community.
• Applications are open now, but classes start in October, so organizers want applicants to sign up before September ends.
• To qualify, women must be 19 to 27, at least one-quarter Chinese, never married or given birth, and a Hawaii resident for at least a year.
• Today's Mid-Autumn Festival, sometimes called "Chinese Thanksgiving," is China's second-biggest holiday after Lunar New Year, marked by family gatherings, the full moon, and mooncakes symbolizing unity and prosperity.

Outlook: The festival runs today in Honolulu's Chinatown, and the pageant's next class of contestants begins training in October through the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.