2025 KOHO presents BonPOP, Golden Gate Park (A Reimagined Obon Odori, Local, City-Wide & Regional Audience..)NEW

KOHO and Gardens of Golden Gate Park are excited to present the fourth annual KOHO BonPop community Bon Odori festival, taking place this year on Sunday, August 31 at the Celebration Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

BonPOP, a reimagined Obon Odori, welcomes a local, city-wide and regional audience to immerse themselves in the Japanese tradition of honoring ancestors through dance, song, and rituals accessible to all regardless of religion, faith, ethnicity, and cultural beliefs. The festival features a vibrant blend of taiko drumming, live folk music, and Bon Odori dancing showcasing the rich heritage and talent of our local Japantown artists and cultural practitioners.

A 500-year-old ceremonial tradition, Obon is celebrated throughout Japan today. Residents travel to their family homes to honor their ancestors during Obon season. Originating from the Chinese Ghost Festival of Buddhist and Taoist nature, the Japan Obon Festival follows the idea that during the month of August, those in the living realm remember and remember and honor past ancestors. Family rituals may include visits to the local temple, cleaning of ancestral graves, lighting of fire and lanterns, and reunions with loved ones enjoying ceremonial foods and family traditions.

Date
Aug 31, 2025