BonPOP 2026

This program is included with admission. Click here to purchase entry to the Botanical Garden for August 30, and click here to donate to the Gardens of Golden Gate Park. Your support helps us connect people to plants, the planet, and each other! Sunday, August 30, 2026 2-6pm San Francisco Botanical Garden -- Fountain Plaza About the Program KOHO and Gardens of Golden Gate Park are excited to present the 5th annual BonPOP Obon festival! This re-imagined Obon Odori event welcomes everyone to experience the rich Japanese tradition of honoring ancestors through dance, song, and ritual. This inclusive event invites people of all religions, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds to join in the festivities. Obon has its roots in the Chinese Ghost Festival of Buddhist and Taoist traditions. The festival takes place in August, as it is believed that rituals during this time can help the living connect with their ancestors. These rituals include eating ceremonial foods, taking part in family traditions, and celebratory dancing accompanied by lanterns, taiko drums, and traditional songs. Honor your ancestors, remember your loved ones with lantern tags, engage with vendors, and enjoy celebratory dancing and community activities! Program Schedule 2-4pm: Vendors & Activities BonPOP will feature its biggest vendor marketplace yet! With over 25 Asian-owned & operated small businesses, the BonPOP marketplace will host a curation of vendors with a range from traditional Japanese yukata & kimono to kawaii arts and crafts, vintage Japanese clothing, and even interactive stations like DIY Patch Bar, cartoon drawings, and more! Food & Beverage Vendors: Jane's Homemade -- Japanese Candies Yabai Bar -- Decadent Chocolates Cloud & Crumb -- Delicious baked goods KOHO will also be offering pre-packed onigiri and drinks for attendees to purchase and snack on! Guests are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles for use at on-site refill stations and vendor beverages (where permitted). 4-6pm: Bon Odori Dancing About KOHO Celebrating the ever evolving creative spirit of our Japanese and Japanese-American community, KOHO gives voice to our immigrant ancestors, the strength and resilience of those who endured incarceration during World War II, the residents and businesses displaced during the redevelopment era of the mid-20th-century, and the narratives of our multi-ethnic, intergenerational community today, many who are longing for a deeper connection to heritage, place, purpose, and pride. Learn more about KOHO here! -- Drop-in program, no RSVP needed. Admission to the Botanical Garden is free for San Francisco residents, children 4-and-under, veterans, Museums for All/EBT participants, and Gardens members.