2015 - 70th Annual Seabrook Buddhist Temple Obon Festival (Saturday)NEW

Stephen Pistone, for NJ.com article, "Seabrook is such a unique community with a truly one-of-a-kind cultural history. In addition to being a fun summer event with attractive traditions that people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy together, Obon honors our ancestors and all those who came before us to build our community," said Taniguchi.

"I appreciate Obon not only as a cultural celebration, but also as an annual reminder of our community's roots and our ancestors' efforts to make Seabrook a great home for the present generations."

Although originally an event intended for Japanese Buddhists, many of the Obon festival-goers today are not Buddhists, or Japanese for that matter. With only about 10 percent of the attendance being Buddhists, the Obon Festival is more of a community event than it is a Buddhist event for Seabrook, according to Pierce.

Aside from the various Bon dances, another big part of the Obon Festival is the taiko drumming, which like the dances is often about the struggle of overcoming obstacles, according to Bradway.

"Taiko drumming has a booming, somewhat primal sensation that feels like a shared heartbeat when you're immersed in a performance at Obon," said Upper Deerfield Township resident and SECC secretary Lauren Taniguchi

"The sound of the drums combined with the theatricality of the other performing elements gives a mesmerizing effect that makes you feel fully alive, if not a bit transcendent."

Date
July 18, 2015

Schedule
• 4 p.m. to close: Ethnic food booths and craft tables will be open.
• 4 p.m. to dusk: Temple Meditation Garden open for viewing. Memorial candles available for purchase.
• 4:15 to 4:45/5:00 to 5:30 p.m.: Mini lecture and Q&A on Buddhism in the Temple with Rev. Earl Ikeda.
• 4:15 p.m.: Traditional Japanese Karate demonstration from Shotokan Karate Academy.
• 5 p.m.: Woodruff School ACE Music performance.
• 6:15-7 p.m./7:20 – 8:05 p.m.: Japanese folk dancing with dancers from the greater Delaware Valley region, New York, and Washington, D.C., as well as local dancers. Audience members are encouraged to participate.
• 7–7:20/8:05–close: Japanese taiko drumming will be performed by the Seabrook Buddhist Temple's Hoh Daiko Drummers. There will be special guest performances by the Soh Daiko Drummers of the New York Buddhist Church and Nen Daiko of the Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Fairfax Station, Virginia.