• Festivals & Outdoor Events

    74th Annual San Jose Obon Festival

    74th Annual San Jose Obon Festival

    San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin

    July 12-July 13, 2008

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    Held in one of the three remaining Japantowns in the United States, the free outdoor festival offers a rich cultural experience complete with dance, games, music and food. This year, some of the game booths will be moved, expanding the dance space to accommodate the growing number of dancers. The booths will now be located in the lots between 4th and 5th Streets. The San Jose Obon Festival draws approximately 900 dancers of all ages every year. Many wear ceremonial kimonos or hapi coats and dance to the beat of live music under a canopy of colorful lanterns.

    New to the festival is the powerful, rhythmic performance of student drummers from UC San Diego. They will take the stage on Saturday at 12:30pm along with returning student drummers from UC Irvine at 1:30pm and San Jose Taiko at 4:30pm. On Sunday, UC San Diego Taiko will perform at 12pm, UC Irvine Taiko at 1:30pm, and San Jose Taiko at 3:30pm. Presented by the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, the festival features a variety of entertainment and food. Carnival games for kids, booths where college students can reconnect and food for everyone. Partake in Japanese and American favorites such as sushi, beef and chicken teriyaki, gyoza, udon, tempura, corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake.

    • Ticket Info

      Tickets: Free

    • Dates & Times

      Dates:
      July 12-July 13, 2008

      Times:
      12pm-10pm

    • Venue Info

      San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin

      640 North 5th Street San Jose, CA 95112

      Full map and directions

    • Accessibility Info

    • NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate, however it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.

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