BonFest Chicago

The Japanese Art Foundation and Culture Center in partnership with the Chicago Park District, Shubukai and Tsukasa Taiko from Asian Improv aRts Midwest  invites you to BON Fest Chicago. Join us Saturday, August 6th at 8:00pm for taiko drumming, bon odori dancing, and festivities in Chicago’s historical Garden of the Phoenix in Jackson Park. 

An Obon Matsuri / Bon Festival is traditionally held in the peak heat of summer when space between the natural and the supernatural world is thinnest. This is a time when individuals come together to remember ancestors and those lost as a community. As we continue to process the tremendous loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, we welcome our community to come together through the arts. Traditionally, Bon Odori dancing is performed by those in attendance to welcome spirits, though each community and region has their own style of dance and music.