Our in-person Obon Festival is back! After a three-year hiatus due to COVID restrictions, the Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple will be holding our annual Obon Festival on Saturday and Sunday, July 16-17, from 3 until 9 p.m.
We welcome everyone to join us as we express our gratitude to loved ones who have passed on before us and celebrate this opportunity to gather together once again.
Our Obon Festival will feature delicious food, games, opportunity drawing and silent auction, and Bon Odori starting at 7 p.m. both days.
Our main food offering will be Mamechan’s Obon Dinner, featuring many of Venice’s trademark Obon dishes, including chicken teriyaki, wonton, andagi (Okinawa dango) and tsukemono prepared under the guidance of our acclaimed chef Chris Ono. Mamechan’s Obon Dinner is available primarily through pre-order at www.givebutter.com/mamechan, or by calling the temple at (310) 391-4351. Order while supplies last.
Additional food will be available at the festival, including sushi, chicken salad, hot dogs, chili, popcorn and shave ice.
Games will be available for all, along with the VHBT Marketplace (T-shirts, tote bags and more), and our annual Silent Auction and Opportunity Drawing. Silent Auction items include a Lenovo laptop PC, field-level seats with VIP parking to an upcoming Dodgers vs. Giants game, a private class for up to 20 at Total Wine & More, plus a variety of gift baskets and amazing home-made items. The Opportunity Drawing offers top prizes of $1,000 and $500 cash and a 9th-generation Apple iPad.
Come and escape the heat and enjoy the cool breezes in Venice on July 16-17. For more information, call (310) 391-4351 or visit our Obon website at http://www.vhbt.org/2022Obon or our temple website at https://vhbt.org.
Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple is located at 12371 Braddock Dr. (at Centinela). Limited parking is available at the Venice Japanese Community Center, 12448 Braddock Dr.
More Obon Festivals at Southland BCA Temples
• Orange County Buddhist Church, 909 S. Dale Ave., Anaheim. Obon Festival on Saturday and Sunday, July 16-17, 2 to 9 p.m. Taiko, food, games, dancing. Limited to members this year. Info: (714) 827-9590, http://ocbuddhist.org
• Pasadena Buddhist Temple, 1993 Glen Ave., Pasadena. Mini-Obon on Saturday, July 16. L.A. Taiko Ichiza at 5:30 p.m. Bon Odori at 6:30 p.m. Silent auction. Pre-ordered food. Due to COVID protocols, attendance will be limited to 300 members and friends. Everyone 5 and older must be vaccinated. Bring your own camping chairs. Registration required. Info: (626) 798-4781, http://pasadenabuddhisttemple.org