2025: Annual Como Park Japanese Obon Festival Event (Japanese Culture: Japanese Food, Lantern Lighting, Taiko, Music, Crafts, Martial Arts..) SundayNEW

Annual Como Park Japanese Obon Festival Event.
Martial arts, singing, dancing, drumming, delicious food and other aspects of Japanese culture, will be featured at the annual Como Park Japanese Obon Festival, a family-friendly event, reminiscent of Japan’s annual Obon holiday, on the grounds of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Como Park.

Obon is an important Japanese cultural and family holiday, where ancestral spirits are said to revisit their families for three days. Families pay their respects at grave sites and put out offerings of food and drink on a tray before household altars. They also light lanterns or small fires outside the house to symbolically guide the souls to the home. On the last evening of Obon, lanterns again guide the spirits back to their resting places.

The Obon Festival encompasses Japanese tradition-through music, dance, crafts, martial arts and lanterns. Entertainment on the main stage will include several taiko drumming groups, koto (Japanese zither), shakuhachis (bamboo flutes), traditional and contemporary dance and singing. Martial arts and a host of other cultural exhibits and demonstrations will line several paths through the grounds. Japanese food and culturally-related items will be for sale.

The day will culminate at dusk with the main event-the lantern lighting. Six stone lanterns and floating (on the water, not in the air) paper lanterns throughout the Japanese garden pond and the Frog Pond will create a vision of peacefulness and harmony to commemorate the dead.

Details

Shuttle Service
A shuttle to the festival as well! Pick-up is at 1930 Como Ave. Last drop off is 10pm.

The Como Park Japanese Obon Festival, produced by Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, Japan America Society of Minnesota, and Saint Paul Nagasaki Sister City Committee.

Festival Date
August 17, 2025

Festival Time
3:00 pm - 9:00 pm

What’s the Festival all about?
The Japanese Obon Festival is reminiscent of Japan’s annual Obon holiday, an important cultural and family event. During this holiday it is said that ancestral spirits revisit their families for three days. Many people will return home to pay their respects at grave-sites, and often small paper lanterns are lit and floated down the river to guide ancestor’s spirits.

So, it’s all about Lanterns?
The Festival encompasses Japanese tradition-through food, music, dance, crafts, martial arts and yes, lanterns. Eat Japanese food, watch children play games while the parents learn more about Japan at the various booths, view traditional Japanese entertainment on the main stage, and lose of few calories by dancing the Bon Odori, the finale of the program. Then, at dusk, stroll over to the pond and view the lanterns floating on the water.

Can I launch or buy a Lantern?
The Saint Paul-Nagasaki Sister City Committee will be selling Obon Lanterns at their booth location this year - visitors who purchase them are welcome to either take them home OR bring them to the Lily Pond for a Como Volunteer to launch into the Lily Pond any time during the festival. If a lantern is launched by one of our volunteers, guests will not get them back. Only Como volunteers are permitted to launch lanterns.

Do the lanterns fly in the air?
No, they float on the water.

Can I buy tickets ahead of time?
YES! We will not be accepting payment at the gates. You must show you receipt at the gate.

What time do the gates open?
3pm.

Can I use my credit card?
Food vendors only accept cash.

Can I bring my dog?
Sorry, except for service animals, no pets will be allowed on the grounds.

What time do they light the Lanterns?
Lantern Lighting will begin at approximately 8pm in both the Japanese Garden and Frog Pond. Lanterns will be in the Lily Pond all day.

What time does it end?
The day culminates with the lantern launching at 8pm. Vendors also close at 8pm.

Are Wheelchairs or Strollers Available?
The Garden Safari Gifts booth near the conservatory entrance will have a few wheelchairs to rent, but no strollers.

Why is the Japanese Garden Closed?
The Japanese Garden will be open all day then close from 6:00pm-8:00pm to prepare for the lighting of the lanterns in that area. The gate to the Japanese Garden will re-open around 8:00pm. Please, no flash photography in the garden when it reopens.

I want to become a vendor. Who should I contact?
All new vendors have to be vetted through our planning committee. You can start the process by emailing our Events Coordinator at [email protected] with a synopsis of your group and what your booth will be promoting at this year’s festival.

Festival Event Location
Grounds of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Como Park.

Japanese Festivals Map

Obon Festivals Map