Obon Festival

TICKETS ARE LIMITED AND SOLD ONLINE ONLY

NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE GATE

Obon Tickets, Food, and Sponsorships: https://ekoji-buddhist-temple.square.site/shop/obon-pre-order-items/2OUGY7WDGU2LLSFJ7T6IQPB6

WHEN: Saturday, July 12, 2025, 5 pm to 9 pm

Come for our Japanese “Bon” dancing, Nen Daiko performance, and delicious foods, desserts, vendors, and children’s activities. Stay for the evening memorial ceremony where we fill our beautiful Japanese garden with hundreds of candles representing our departed loved ones. This moving tribute is a fitting way to end the day spent with friends, families and neighbors.

LOCATION: Ekoji Buddhist Temple 6500 Lakehaven Lane, Fairfax Station, Virginia 22039

TICKETS: $6 p/person, sold online only and available here. Children 2 and under are free. Limited ticket quantities available.

Please note: No tickets will be sold at the gate this year.

The gates to the festival will open at 5 p.m. ET and the event will be held rain or shine. No tents or pets allowed. You may bring folding chairs and blankets. Ekoji is a smoke-free campus.

Your e-receipt is your ticket so proceed to the pre-order ticket line when you arrive.  Tickets are non-transferable and may not be resold. No refunds are available.

CANDLES: $5 each, sold online and at the festival, and will be placed in the garden for our evening ceremony.

Tentative Event Schedule

5:00 — Gates open

5:15 — Opening Ceremony

5:30 — Demonstration service

5:40 – 6:00 — TBD

6:05 – 6:55 — Bon Odori (festival dancing) [End with Lantern Song]

6:55 – 7:10 — Okinawan Karate Demo

7:10 – 7:20 — Dounen

7:20 – 8:00 — Nen Daiko

8:00 – 8:40 — Bon Odori (festival dancing)

8:45 – 9:00 — Candlelight memorial service

9:00 — Obon ends

In between events, enjoy the children and teen game and activities, temple tours and presentations, specialty food, desserts, beverages, vendor and artisan booths.

Obon is our annual summer Japanese cultural festival. We come together to eat, dance, and laugh as a community. Join us for delicious food and desserts, vendors, traditional Japanese folk dancing, kids’ games and activities, Nen Daiko, and our youth taiko group, Dounen Daiko, temple tours, evening candle ceremony where we remember and thank those who have come before us.

Activities

Vendors

Japan Rail Modelers, Urban Sheek, Delana’s Massage, and more!

Menu

Select hyperlinked menu items can be preordered and can be picked up in the Food Hall upon arrival. Festival is held rain or shine. No refunds on pre-ordered food.

Obon Hot Dogs, $6

Spam Musubi, $4

Somen, $6

Chirashizushi, $6

Edamame, $4

Watermelon, $3

Shave Ice, $3 (add specialty toppings, +$2)

Desserts: Butter Mochi, Matcha Rice Crispy Treats, $3

Beverages: Bottled Water, Soda, $3

Public Parking

Free parking is available for the event on a first-come, first-served basis at the Fairfax Baptist Church and the Accotink Unitarian Church, conveniently located just a short walk away. To help us maximize space, we encourage carpooling whenever possible. Volunteers will be there to guide you – please follow their friendly directions to find your spot!

Directions: Ekoji is located at 6500 Lakehaven Lane in Fairfax Station, Virginia. Take Fairfax County Parkway to Burke Lake Road. 

Volunteer

Ready to make a difference and have some fun? Check out the volunteer spots and sign up here – we’d love to have you!

Calling all students! This is a fantastic way to earn service hours.

Got questions? Reach out to our awesome volunteer coordinator, Andrea, via email.

Big thanks in advance for your help! And guess what? As a little thank you, all volunteers get FREE admission to the event! 

Mini Sponsorship

We are excited to invite our sangha, both near and far, to help support our Obon festival this year! Every item or good you sponsor within the respective categories of administration, tents and games, food and grounds will help defray our costs and raise more for the temple. 

• $25 will help us buy prizes and materials for our game booths…
• $50 will help us defray the trailer rental, signage and more…
• $100 will help us buy rice, beverages, ice, packaging and other foodstuffs…
• $150 will help us fund the police, crossing guards, increased utility bills, marketing and more…

All “mini sponsors” will be recognized on our event page and weekly email. We appreciate you and thank you for your support!

Corporate Sponsors

We warmly welcome monetary sponsorships at the following levels: $250, $500, $1000. Your business logo will be prominently featured on the Ekoji Obon Festival website (with permission). Corporate sponsorship opportunities are available here. Our gratitude to Independence Landscape and BDK America for their generous support of Obon 2023 and 2024!

$250 | $500 | $1,000 – All tax-deductible with a donation letter provided.

Obon Sunday Service

Join us on Sunday, July 13, 11 am ET for our hybrid Obon Service. If you have lost a loved one in the last year (July 2024-July 2025) and would like to remember them with a Hatsubon candle to be lit during the service, please complete this form or email ekoji.info@gmail.com prior to July 4 for additional information.