Humboldt Obon Fest

Humboldt Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity (HAPI) invites the community to the third Annual Humboldt Obon Festival on Sunday, August 11, 4-8 P.M., in front of the Arcata Playhouse, in the Creamery District, 1251 9th Street, Arcata. Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. Rinban Gerald Sakamoto, minister for the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, will return this year to bless the Festival and share the stories and traditions of Obon. There will again be an altar to honor our ancestors, food vendors (Asian and Pacific Islander cuisine), children’s activities, music, Bon dancing, and more.

HAPI has a call for volunteers to help staff booths, direct traffic, decorate and set up, work concessions, take down, security, recycling and trash patrol, and other duties as needed. It takes a village to put on Obon, and each year the festival grows. To volunteer, contact Kim Coughlin-Lamphear at coughlin@humboldt.edu or (707) 845-2390.

Bon odori is the traditional folk dancing that is a part of the festival – think circle dancing, rather than line dancing. The public is welcome to join in the street dancing during the festival, and interested community members can attend free dance lessons (though donations appreciated!) Schedule and location of dance instruction to be announced. But any person can learn at home now with these instructional videos by our local dance instructor, Craig Kurumada. https://sites.google.com/humboldt.edu/humboldt-obon-odori-dance-clas/home.

HAPI is requesting donations and seeking sponsors for the festival, which is free to the public. Watch for details of the Humboldt Obon Festival and a link to donate on the HAPI website  https://hapihumboldt.org, and find HAPI on Facebook and Instagram.

HAPI builds and empowers our community by amplifying diverse voices and perspectives for a more engaged and inclusive future. HAPI is a DreamMaker Project of the Ink People Center for the Arts, a community-based, grassroots, artists-run, arts and culture not-for-profit organization.