August 14 and 15, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Sacramento Buddhist Church at 2401 Riverside Blvd. in Sacramento is hosting the 64th Annual Japanese Food & Cultural Bazaar, a tradition that started in 1947 as a way for church members and the local Sacramento Japanese and Japanese-American community to share food, memories and friendships. Today, the Bazaar includes Japanese exhibits and demonstrations, such as flower arranging (Ikebana), classical dancing (Odori), tea ceremony, concerts, Taiko Drum Clubs, and many other cultural activities.

An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people are expected to attend this event, where one and a half tons of rice, 10,000 + pounds of chicken teriyaki, 400 pounds of shrimp, 1,500 pounds of beef, 500 pounds of noodles, 150 gallons of soy sauce, 500 pounds of sugar and 100 pounds of salt, 6 tons of ice, and 2,000 pounds of charcoal will be used to feed the crowd numerous Japanese dishes.

This two-day event is supported by volunteers from ages 7 through 90 contributing countless hours throughout the year to share the festival with the Sacramento community. Proceeds from the Japanese Food and Cultural Bazaar support the Sacramento Buddhist Church and its affiliated organizations such as youth sports programs, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, youth groups, adult and senior groups, the Japanese language school and many other church activities within the community.

For more information, call 916-446-0121.

by Juliet Farmer