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Obon celebrations in Bay Area
By Ron Kitagawa, Mercury News, July 12, 2007
Obon celebrations include Taiko Drumming and flower arranging
Bay Area, CA (USA) -- Each summer, Buddhist temples across the Bay Area celebrate Obon - a religious and cultural event commemorating one's ancestors. The festivals and bazaars, many of which have been held for more than 50 years, are also a time to make new acquaintances and reconnect with friends and family.
The two largest events in the area are the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin (this weekend) and the Mountain View Buddhist Temple (next weekend).
There will be cultural exhibits, including martial arts and taiko drum exhibitions, bonsai and suiseki (the art of rock arrangement), ikebana (flower arrangements) and Bon Odori (folk dancing). And there are games and food - lots of food: From chicken and beef teriyaki to sushi, udon and, yes, hot dogs.
Here's a roundup of some of the upcoming events:
Alameda Buddhist Temple of Alameda 2325 Pacific Ave. (510) 522-5243 Bazaar: 4-9 p.m. July 28 (Bon Odori at 7 p.m.)
Mountain View Mountain View Buddhist Temple 575 N. Shoreline Blvd. (650) 964-9426, www.mvbuddhisttemple.org/home Bazaar: 4-10 p.m. July 21; noon-9 p.m. July 22 (Bon Odori at 7 p.m.)
Oakland Buddhist Church of Oakland 825 Jackson St. (510) 832-5988, www.buddhistchurchofoakland.org Bazaar: 3-9 p.m. Aug. 4 (Bon Odori at 7:30 p.m.)
Palo Alto Buddhist Temple 2751 Louis Road (650) 856-0123, www.pabt.org Bazaar: 5-10 p.m. Aug. 4; noon-9:30 p.m. Aug. 5 (Bon Odori at 7:30 p.m.)
Salinas Buddhist Temple of Salinas 14 California Street (831) 424-4105, http://worknotes.com/CA/Salinas/BTS/index.html Bazaar: noon-9 p.m. July 29 (Bon Odori at 6 p.m.)
San Jose San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin 650 N. Fifth St. (408) 293-9292, www.sjbetsuin.com Bazaar: noon-10 p.m. Saturday (Bon Odori at 7:45 p.m.) and noon-8 p.m. Sunday (Bon Odori at 6 p.m.)
San Mateo San Mateo Buddhist Temple 2 S. Claremont St. (650) 342-2541; www.sanmateobuddhisttemple.org (Bazaar was held June 23-24.) Bon Odori: 7 p.m. Union City
Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church 32975 Alvarado-Niles Road (510) 471-2581, www.sacbc.org (Bazaar was held last weekend) Bon Odori: 7 p.m. Aug. 11
Watsonville Watsonville Buddhist Temple 423 Bridge St. (831) 724-7860, www.wbtemple.org Bazaar: 2:30 p.m. July 22 (Bon Odori at 6:30 p.m.)
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