The Florida Japan Exchange and Teaching Alumni Association (FL-JETAA) invites guests of all ages to attend its 11th annual Japanese summer festival, Tampa Natsumatsuri, on June 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, located at 821 S. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. Admission is free.
The event is a non-profit, community-based festival featuring Japanese games, treats, crafts, costumes and more. This is the first year the festival will be held in the evening, just like many summer festivals in Japan, giving guests, volunteers and organizers a reprieve from the heat.
Attendees will enjoy martial arts demonstrations of kenjutsu and aikido, performances of rakugo (comedic storytelling) and Japanese dance, a cosplay contest, more than 10 vendors of Japanese crafts and goods, two food trucks, and more than 20 different Japanese festival games. Guests are encouraged to cosplay as their favorite anime character, wear a kimono or yukata, or come in their favorite comfortable clothes and shoes.
Also returning this year are fan-favorite activities including omocha sukui, catching toy fish with a paddle as they glide through a tank of water, and craft-making of traditional Japanese wares.
The festival is organized by FL-JETAA and sponsored in part by the Consulate-General of Japan in Miami. For more information, please contact TampaNatsuMatsuri@gmail.com or visit http://www.floridajetaa.org/
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CALENDAR BRIEF: Experience a taste of Japan with the 11th annual Tampa Natsumatsuri, an authentic Japanese summer festival taking place on June 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, located at 821 S. Dale Mabry Highway. Enjoy martial arts demonstrations, music and dance performances, a cosplay contest, more than 10 vendors of Japanese crafts and goods, two food trucks, and more than 20 different Japanese festival games. Admission is free!
