The Buddhist Temple of the Monterey Peninsula hosts the 74th annual Obon Festival, Sunday, July 9, 2023. The last Obon festival was in 2019. The Festival will take place at the Temple, 1155 Noche Buena Street in Seaside, California. Hours are noon – 5:00pm. Enjoy delicious Japanese foods, entertainment, games, bonsai and ikebana exhibits, and Japanese goods and crafts for sale. Food choices include tempura, sushi, udon (noodles in broth), gyoza (steamed dumpling with ground pork and vegetables), Asian hot dogs and Japanese sodas and desserts. Hapa Brothers food truck will also be serving their foods. Day-long entertainment features Taiko drumming, martial arts, bonsai and ikebana demonstrations. Everyone is invited to dance during the bon odori, or community Japanese folk dancing. Dance to Lady Gaga and traditional Japanese songs. This is a free event, donations accepted.
Please visit the Obon Festival’s Facebook page for a schedule of events and more information: https://www.facebook.com/montereypeninsulaobonfestival or call 831-394-0119. Questions/comments can be emailed to obonfest@gmail.com.