What’s Going On?

The 36th Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair took to the streets of Japantown in San Francisco on Post St. between Fillmore and Laguna Streets. The Nihonmachi Street Fair is one that brings the community together with many non-profit organizations running the show. Geared toward the public awareness of Asian Pacific Americans the fair hosts many cultural displays and shows for the public to view.

The festival this year had demonstrations of hula, lion dancing, taiko drumming, and music from various artists of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Throughout the festival, vendors sold anything from teriyaki burgers to bonzai trees to flashy Asian jewelry. For the children,  a section of the fair was reserved for them to play in the Kiddie Carnival. Here they could take part in winning prizes by playing home crafted games like ring toss, tic-tac-toe, and other various midway games.

The fair was held over the weekend of August 8th and 9th. The Nihonmachi Street Fair in comparison to the Cherry Blossom Festival that’s held earlier in the year is much smaller. The scale of vendors and events are probably about 30% less and the attendance is relative to that change in number also. However, though the fair may be a smaller scale of most Asian festivals the fair is very relaxing and less crowded. Being in the presence of fewer people makes the fair much more enjoyable. The beautiful weather and the abundance of vacant seats allows for one relaxing weekend to shop, eat, and be entertained.

When coming to next years fair, be sure to check out the Japantown Peace Plaza. There you can watch various ethnic shows. Sit down and enjoy. If you’re hungry there are tons of restaurants and street food to eat. Bring your family and friends and help the community by supporting the vendors and the various community centers that are represented there.