SF’s J-Town Celebrates 36th Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair Aug. 8-9

Hokubei - On Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8-9, the 36th annual Nihonmachi Street Fair takes over San Francisco’s Japantown.

The fair celebrates the diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities here in the Bay Area, and has established itself as a summertime tradition in the city.

This event is organized entirely by volunteers, who work with non-profit community service organizations to offer Asian food booths, a broad assortment of arts and crafts vendors, and even a Children’s World activity area, where kids can learn Asian crafts and games.

That commitment to community service is what gives the Nihonmachi Street Fair a unique perspective among Bay Area urban festivals. The fair’s broad goal is to support the programs and services of non-profit organizations.

“I want to stress that even during these hard economic times it is important to continue this type of community event,” says Grace Horikiri, executive director and president of the event. “It is an opportunity for non-profit groups that serve our diverse communities to come out, do outreach, and raise funds.

“We also ask our community businesses, friends and neighbors to continue to support this
event in any way they can. With all the forecasted fee increases, budget cuts, and decrease in traditional funding sources, I think everyone understands that grassroots events like the Nihonmachi Street Fair are facing a tough road ahead.”

Promoting Creative Expression
One of the fair’s goals is to help promote creative expression among artisans.

“We want to promote imagination, inspiration, and the creative traditions of the Asian American and Pacific Island community, not just trade in manufactured goods, “Horikiri emphasizes. “Craftspeople need events where they can present their art, and we hope to attract an audience that appreciates their imagination and skill.”

Of course, food booths are a community fundraising tradition. At the Nihonmachi Street Fair, attendees can expect to taste everything from teriyaki hamburgers and kalbi barbecue to shaved ice. The organizations raising funds represent a diverse collection of service programs and advocacy groups.

The multifaceted information tables area represent key issues and community needs.

“This Street Fair is also an important outreach and networking event that has continued to serve these communities for 35 years,” Horikiri says.

Current issues include AIDS awareness, senior care, children and youth programs, and newcomer programs, all of which are impacted by budget cuts.

Roots in the ’70s
The grassroots perspective goes back to the fair’s origins in the 1970s, when war raged in Vietnam, grassroots community organizing around important social issues was at its height, and Asian American youth sought community identity.

“The Street Fair began as a youth project where young Asians from Japantown, Chinatown, and other areas of the city could work together to create an event where they could express themselves but more importantly develop a better understanding of each other,” Horikiri relates.

The Street Fair has sought to serve as a venue for Asian performing artists as well.

Another one of the weekend’s highlights has always been a one-of-a-kind entertainment lineup that brings together cultural performing arts and contemporary music, established community favorites and emerging young talent.

Activities will take place from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. both days, centered around Peace Plaza on Post Street between Laguna and Webster streets.

Horikiri says attendees will enjoy an entertaining festival with a unique perspective. “We want our supporters to have a good time and to know that by their presence here they will be making a difference for a lot of deserving community groups and artists.”

Article from Hokubai.com

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For more than three decades, the Nihonmachi Street Fair has brought together emerging and established musical and cultural entertainment and unique Asian American arts and crafts, in addition to benefiting Asian and Pacific Islander community organizations. On Saturday, Aug. 8 and Sunday, Aug. 9, the 36th annual Nihonmachi Street Fair takes over San Francisco’s Japantown to celebrate the Bay Area’s diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

As with many community festivals, there is a true grassroots element to the Street Fair.

Grace Horikiri, executive director and president of the Nihonmachi Street Fair, noted that many of the Street Fair’s “core team of volunteers” have been with the organization for more than 10 years.

While the festival is one of Japantown’s largest events, it, much like the nonprofit organizations which benefit from the Fair, is not unaffected by the economic downturn.

“Like all nonprofit groups, we’ve struggled to raise funds just to put on the Street Fair this year,” said Horikiri. “But it’s our goal and challenge to enable the service organizations and cultural groups to have this opportunity to reach out to the community and do grassroots fundraising and outreach.”

The Street Fair came under scrutiny last year when the Street Fair organizers informed the management of the 1600 Webster Street condominiums — the previous site of the beloved Japantown Bowl — that they would be unable to steam clean the sidewalks, due to financial constraints.

The Nichi Bei Times previously reported that in an e-mail to Horikiri before last year’s festival, 1600 Webster Street Homeowners Association President David Zisser wrote that the streets and sidewalks of the area are “usually filthy,” and 1600 Webster “already devotes part of its yearly budget to the maintenance of its sidewalks and street trees from which this neighborhood receives a direct benefit.”

John McInerney, the managing partner of the development group that purchased the former Japantown Bowl site from Kintetsu Enterprises Co. of America in 2000, had similar criticism for Horikiri. “You want to put on an event; you take responsibility,” McInerney wrote before last year’s event. “In this instance, you make a mess, you clean it up…If your event doesn’t make money, you should rethink its usefulness.”

Following the criticism of the Nihonmachi Street Fair and other festivals, a “save” Japantown festivals drive was created, and circulated throughout last year’s Street Fair by concerned members of San Francisco’s Japantown community. The petition collected more than 2,300 signatures.

The criticism ultimately brought San Francisco’s Japantown community together, Horikiri said in an e-mail.

“Things are changing around us everyday and we all need to make sure we voice our concerns in a professional neighborly manner,” she said. “After all, it is still a community that many folks live in, work at and are a part of.” Horikiri said that McInerney had recently e-mailed her.

“We both acknowledged the need to work together. That is a positive step forward,” she said.

Zisser told the Nichi Bei Times that he too has been in contact with Horikiri, and added that “everything’s been pretty much addressed.”

The Nihonmachi Street Fair originated in the 1970s as war raged in Vietnam, grassroots community organizing around important social issues was at its heights, and Asian American youth sought community identity.

“The Street Fair began as a youth project where young Asians from Japantown, Chinatown, and other areas of the City could work together to develop a better understanding of each other,” Horikiri recalls. “Now, the issues may be different, but times are hard again.”

Just the same, Street Fair organizers are preparing for fun and good times. Post Street from Octavia to Webster in San Francisco’s Japantown will be lined with food booths and arts and crafts displays, and the Peace Plaza stage will showcase two days of free entertainment, starring some of the best performing artists and emerging musical talent in the Bay Area.

In addition, there will also be a Children’s World activity area, where kids can enjoy games and participate in arts and crafts demonstrations.

The Nihonmachi Street Fair takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, and is centered around Japantown’s Peace Plaza.

For more information visit Nihonmachi Street Fair http://www.nihonmachistreetfair.org.