Spring is in the air again and it signals the return of Centenary United Methodist Church’s Arigato Bazaar, which will take place on Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Everyone is invited to this annual event, which brings people from across Southern California together for a day of family fun. Spend time hunting for a special “treasure” in the Country Store and handmade crafts booths or place a bid on a silent auction item that’s caught your eye.
Grab a seat outside to enjoy live entertainment, including taiko drummers, Japanese minyo dance, Polynesian hula dance, steel drums and more. And you can’t forget to try all the delicious food, including beef bento, Asian chicken salad, sushi, Asian fusion chicken tacos, Centenary’s popular handmade manju, and the return of the best-loved teriyaki half-chicken dinner (in a limited run, so get it early).
Then at 2:15 p.m., come outside for the popular community-wide Japanese ondo dance. Whether you’ve danced for years or this is your first time, all are welcome to participate in this festival dancing that unites culture and community in an atmosphere of enjoyable spirit.
Plus there will be opportunities to win prizes throughout the day, starting with an “early bird” Opportunity Drawing for a $500 cash prize (tickets must be turned in by 3 p.m. on Friday, May 3). Multiple raffle prize drawings follow, and the day concludes with the grand prize Opportunity Drawing for $1,000 cash.
Centenary UMC is located at 300 S. Central Ave. (at Third Street) in Little Tokyo. Free parking and shuttle are available at 420 E. Third St. (enter structure on Boyd Street) until 6 p.m.
For more information or to get “early bird” Opportunity Drawing tickets, visit www.centenarydtla.org or call (213) 617-9097.