Two upcoming Downtown Los Angeles Obon Festivals offer some family fun for Burbankers to Get Out of Town in July. The Zenshuji Temple Obon on July 20-21 and the Higashi Hoganji Temple’s Obon on July 27-28 are sure to provide lots of food, music, positive vibes and activity for Los Angelenos during the heart of summer.
It will be hot and crowded. That’s a given. Parking is always an issue, so we’d recommend the Metro Red Line for those who don’t want to pay a premium or walk a fair distance to the event from their parked car.
The Zenshuji Soto Mission holds the 66th Annual Obon Carnival at 123 South Hewitt Street in Little Tokyo on July 20 and 21, from 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Obon services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Cultural Activities include Bon Odori and Tea Cenemony. Eat & Shop booths include BBQ Chicken & Beef, Tamale, Chirashi-sushi, Okinawa Dango, Wonton, Somen, Corn, Ohagi, Shaved Ice, Umeboshi & more, White Elephant, Crafts. Entertainment includes Taiko Drumming, Folk Dance & Music, Shorinji Kempo, Raffles & Prizes.
Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo will hold their Obon Festival at 505 East Third Street in Downtown Los Angeles on July 27-28, from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Bon Odori practices will be held on Wednesdays from 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on July 10 and 17 ahead of the festival. Organizers request that attendees bring kachi-kachi (castanets), tenugui (towel), and uchiwa (a round fan.)
Summertime is a great time to sample the richness of Los Angeles and take some time to explore your own, and others’, cultural heritage and time-honored traditions. We’ve found the multitude of summer Obon Festivals throughout the Southland to be a wonderful experience, wherever one may attend from the Valley to the South Bay and it’s a great way for Burbankers to Get Out of Town!
Editor’s Note: While there’s always a lot going on in Burbank, myBurbank’s “Get Out Of Town!” highlights some of our favorite activities and events outside the town borders.
