I visited the Salinas Obon Festival yesterday, organized by the Buddhist Temple of Salinas. The placed was packed with festival-goers, lines forming at the food vendor tents for scrumptious Japanese food (and in one case, Filipino lumpia!), and to view bonsai and ikebana demonstrations, and Asian crafts. The Salinas Kendo Club demonstration, Obon Odori dancing, and San Jose Taiko were exciting! It was a very successful event. I also met up with Binh Danh, the artist who is currently photographing the changes that Salinas Chinatown is undergoing. His process is unusual: he uses a daguerreotype camera, and processes his film right on the site. We look forward to seeing his work and exhibit when the project is finished. Some images from yesterday’s Obon Festival:
The familiar Temple Bell was decked out in colorful lanterns. Photo: Jean Vengua
The Buddhist Temple gym was packed! Photo by Henry Gong.
City Council member Gloria de la Rosa (L) and ACE Co-chair Cathy Chavez-Miller (R). Photo: Cathy Chavez-Miller.
Photographer & Daguerreotype artist, Binh Danh, chatting with ACE Board Member Henry Gong. Photo: Jean Vengua.
Kendo demonstration (Salinas Kendo Club)
ACE Board Members: Henry Gong, Co-chair Cathy Chavez-Miller, & Treasurer Larry Hirahara (also one of the organizers of the Obon Festival). Photo: Cathy Chavez-Miller.
San Jose Taiko performs, and the crowd gets into it, too. Photo: Henry Gong.
The Monument (above, left), and the plaque w/diagram and dedication (below). Photo: Jean Vengua.
Part of the busy Obon crew, behind the scenes. Photo: Cathy Chavez-Miller.
—Jean Vengua
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