Obon Celebrations in Northern, Central California This Weekend

The following celebrations will be held in Northern and Central California during the weekend of July 21-22.

• 80th Ginza Bazaar at Buddhist Church of San Francisco, 1881 Pine St., San Francisco. Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m.; Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Two days of tasty food, cultural performances and entertainment, children’s games, boutique featuring handmade crafts and clothing, silent auction, bingo, and more. The Ginza Bazaar will feature many crowd hits such as BCSF’s famous chicken, sushi, udon, barbecue ribs, curry, and homemade baked goods. Enjoy performances featuring taiko drumming, jazz performances, Japanese traditional dance and music, and ikebana flower demonstration.

On Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m., take part in the 87th Bon Odori, led by dancers in colorful summer kimono, as part of the annual Buddhist Obon or “gathering of joy,” a celebration of life and community. For more information, call (415) 776-3158 or visit www.buddhistchurchofsanfrancisco.org.

• Obon Festival and Bazaar at Mountain View Buddhist Temple, 575 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View. Saturday from 2 to 8 p.m.; Sunday from 12 to 8 p.m. Maui Bon Dance on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.; Bon Odori on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Sales of Asian and Western foods, games and cultural exhibits.

No dogs allowed, by order of the Santa Clara County Health Department. For more information, call (650) 964-9426 or visit www.mvbuddhisttemple.org.

• Ohtani Bazaar at Berkeley Higashi Honganji, 1524 Oregon St., Berkeley. Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m.; Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. Featuring sushi, teriyaki chicken, beef kushi katsu, oden, udon, mochi. Plus kids’ games and more.

Cash and checks only. For more information, call (510) 843-6933 or visit www.bombu.org.

• Obon Festival at Alameda Buddhist Temple, 2325 Pacific Ave., Alameda. Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. Bon Odori at 7:30 p.m. Taiko drumming, live music, ikebana exhibit. Mini-food bazaar at 4 p.m. with udon, hot dogs, hamburgers, teriyaki steaks/chicken. Talks on “The Story of Our Temple” at 5 p.m., “Training Wheels Buddhism” at 5:30 p.m.

Free admission. For more information, call (510) 522-5243 or visit www.btoa.org.

• Obon Festival at Buddhist Church of Fowler, 210 S. 9th St., Fowler, on Saturday. Food sales start at 5 p.m., dancing at sunset. For more information, call Barton at (559) 284-2955 or Karen at (559) 834-1178.

• Obon Festival at Watsonville Buddhist Temple, 423 Bridge St., Watsonville, on Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m. Bon Odori at 4 p.m. Delicious food, vendors, entertainment, farmers’ market, children’s games, drawing. Obon is a time of joyous celebration and gratitude to the generations who went before us and gave us the gift of life. The highlight of the day is colorful dancing in which the community is invited to participate.

Sponsorship by RDO Water, Watsonville. For more information, call (831) 724-7860 or email buddhist@wbtemple.org.