Centenary United Methodist Church, 300 S. Central (at Third Street) in Little Tokyo, will hold its first-ever Halloween Odori/Ondo Costume Party on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 5 to 9 p.m.
All ages are welcome to attend. Everyone is encouraged to wear a costume, kimono, yukata or a temple, organization or church happi coat (but it is not required).
There will be public dancing on the bottom half of every hour to the traditional Obon and pop favorites most everyone is familiar with. If you are new to odori/ondo cancing, the best way to learn is to just jump in. Plenty of people will be on hand to teach the steps.
The top of every hour will begin with announcements. If you have an event, cause or organization to “plug,” this will be your opportunity to voice to the community as long as you can keep it less than 5 minutes. There will also be dance music and “Five Minutes of Fame” karaoke.
Every quarter after the hour, games and prizes will be offered. “Trick or treat” stations will be available for the kids. Food will be potluck; attendees are asked to bring finger foods, snacks or desserts.
This event will be held in the church parking lot. In the event of rain, it will be moved inside. Parking will be very limited — if there is no street parking, pay lots are available in Little Tokyo.
This event is being hosted by Centenary UMC’s AMI, CenYA and VIT fellowship groups. Community organizations and performing groups will have information booths.
For more information, contact Wesley Nishinaka at wnishinaka@aol.com.