Obon Festivals in CA

July 18, 2004

Source: The Orange County Register

http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2004/07/18/sections/local/local/article_172209.php

On July 18, 2004 The Orange County Register reported, "visitors at the Obon Festival on Saturday stopped to savor treats from the food booths, sort through tables offering clothing and catch-alls, or scrutinize the bonsai plants and vegetables on sale. But many were waiting for evening, when the colorful kimonos begin to appear and the day's big events get under way. The Obon Festival, which continues today, is one of the largest events of the year at the Orange County Buddhist Temple and neighbors always turn out to help the 1,000-member sangha - or congregation - enjoy a weekend of great food like sushi, udon, teriyaki, dango and corn, plus taiko drumming, Japanese folk dancing and carnival booths... The OCBC is part of the Jodo Shinshu, or Pure Land tradition of Buddhism, brought [to Orange County] by Japanese immigrants around the turn of the 20th century."