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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Falkor//Falkor Events//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
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DTSTART:20260801T220000Z
DTEND:20260802T040000Z
SUMMARY:Gardena Obon Festival 2026 — South Bay’s Largest Japanese Summer Festival
DESCRIPTION:Taiko drums hit different when they echo off a temple wall at dusk. Not louder — fuller. The kind of sound that stops you mid-step and holds you there\, watching strangers in yukata shuffle into a circle for Bon Odori\, the folk dance that honors ancestors by moving together.\n\nThe Gardena Buddhist Church has been holding this for decades. It is the largest Obon festival in the South Bay\, and that is not a marketing claim — it is a physical fact you can see from the parking lot. The taiko performances run from 4:30 to 6 PM\, hard enough to feel in your chest. The Bon Odori circle opens at 6 PM and runs until 8 PM\, and nobody checks whether you know the steps. You learn by watching the person next to you\, which is the whole point.\n\nThe food booths open at 3 PM both days — chicken teriyaki\, spam musubi\, shave ice\, udon\, mochi. The bingo hall runs until 9 PM for anyone who wants to sit down and pretend they came for the games. There are carnival games for kids and a produce market that regulars have been hitting for years.\n\nThis is not a cultural exhibition. It is a living community gathering held on the grounds of a temple that has anchored the Japanese-American South Bay for generations. If you have never been to an Obon festival\, this is the one to start with. Free admission. Saturday August 1 and Sunday August 2\, 3 PM to 9 PM. Gardena Buddhist Church\, 1517 W 166th St\, Gardena\, CA 90247.
LOCATION:Gardena Buddhist Church\, 1517 W 166th St\, Gardena\, CA 90247
URL:https://www.falkorevents.com/eventcal/event/6813/details/
UID:event-6813@falkorevents.com
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