MENDOCINO CO., 8/7/2026 — A festival celebrating Mendocino’s ties to its sister city in Japan is returning Saturday to welcome the spirits of ancestors and departed loved ones who are believed to come home in the middle of August each year.
The Fourth Annual Mendocino Obon Festival will be held at the Mendocino Art Center starting at noon on Saturday with live performances including Taiko drumming, bamboo flute and Japanese dance.
There will also be an art market with local artists, a hands-on project table to provide cultural experiences for all ages and Japanese foods.
Mendocino’s relationship with Miasa-Omachi, on Japan’s main island of Honshu, was formed through a friendship between Bill Zacha, a founder of the art center, and Toshi Yoshida, a Japanese printmaking artist, according to the festival website.
The Mendocino Sister Cities Association has maintained a partnership with Miasa-Omachi since 1980, according to the association’s website.
Through the association, more than 600 students and 300 adults have participated in the exchange program, the festival’s website said. Net proceeds from the festival will be donated to the Mendocino Sister Cities Association.