Chicken Salad Booth (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Chicken Salad Booth)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Chicken Salad Booth

For the more health consious, the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple obon provided a Chicken Salad booth.

Dough Ball Booth (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dough Ball Booth)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dough Ball Booth

I'm not exactly sure what a dough ball is, but it was interesting to see the different varieties of food available at this obon. I did notice, however, that there was often a line at this booth, so the dough balls must have been good.

Manju Booth (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Manju Booth)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Manju Booth

The San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon had a manju booth. I didn't purchase any, because I was too stuffed from the other food, but I did notice that the ladies had an abundance of manju, and they looked very appetizing.

BBQ! (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - BBQ!)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - BBQ!

In addition to the many food booths at the SFVHBT obon, this barbeque was set up on the side, probably to cook the teriyaki food, which of course, was delicious.

Snow Cone Booth (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Snow Cone Booth)

The snow cones were a welcome source of relief from the hot day. The line at this booth never went down!

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2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Snow Cone Booth

The snow cones were a welcome source of relief from the hot day at the 2007 SFVHBT obon. I personally enjoyed a cherry snow cone from the San Fernando Jr. YBA. The line at this booth never went down!

Okinawan Dango Booth (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Okinawa Dango Booth)

There were many different types of food at this obon, including the Okinawan Dango, which were delicious!

Look at the Crowd! (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Look at the Crowd!)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Look at the Crowd!

As I left the obon, I turned around to take a picture of the entire transformed lot. It was packed, as you can see. I still cannot believe how so many people fit into such a tiny space!

Bow (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Bow)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Bow

There were various dances at the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple obon, all with unique movments. This particular dance involved a bow and a pause at the end of each sequence. As you can see, some people take this move more seriously than others.

Dancing 2! (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dancing 2!)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dancing 2!

The attendees at the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon looked like they had a good time daning to the beat of the drum! I believe this dance involved a "cha cha cha!"

Dolls (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dolls)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dolls

Part of the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon festivities was a Japanese Doll exhibit. The picture here shows only a tiny fraction of the many beautiful dolls on display.

Popcorn Chicken (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Popcorn Chicken)

The popcorn chicken could not be overlooked. Although it tasted nothing like KFC popcorn chicken, it was still delicious. It came with seasoning and soy sauce.

Teriyaki Beef Plate (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Teriyaki Beef Plate)

You can never get enough food at an obon festival. This is a picture of the Teriyaki Beef Plate. Although I did not taste any of it, it looked absolutely delicous. Included in the meal was beef teriyaki, corn on the cob, white rice and grapes. It was gone in about five minutes!

Okinawan Dango (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Okinawa Dango)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Okinawa Dango

This delicious food is very similar to the "doughnut hole," though they are a bit larger. And they were very appetizing. The regular dangos are much smaller, are not deep-fried, and come on a stick. These ones were served to us in a zip-lock baggie, as is clear from the picture.

Chashu Bao (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Chashu Bao)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Chashu Bao

Chashu Bao, also known as a pork bun, is delicious! This one was no different. There was a variety of food to choose from at the SFVHBT obon on Saturday, including Teriyaki plates, snowcones, manju, and popcorn chicken. It all looked delicious.

Bingo! (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Bingo!)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Bingo!

To pass time before the dancing began, people played Bingo at the back of the temple. A constant stream of people were walking in and out of the building, as you can see in the picture. Bingo is often offered at obons throughout Southern California.

Dancing! (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Dancing!)

This was the first dance performed by the obon attendees. People participated regardless of race, gender or age. It was great to see so many young people taking part in the festivities. And, as you can see, the taiko players are playing along with the music in the background.

Getting Ready (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Getting Ready)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Getting Ready

I noticed these women getting their coats on, preparing for the dancing. The different colors represent the different temples that these women traveled from. There were many guests from neighboring temples that came out to support the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon. He community support was amazing.

Yagura (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Taiko)

The Yagura, situated at the middle of the lot, housed 4 large taikos, and two more drums were on the ground. Later in the day, these drums were used to accompany the music that everyone danced to.

Fishing! (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Fishing Booth)

2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Fishing Booth

The fishing booth was one of the many booths that offered entertainment for children. Here, the participants attempted to throw their ping pong balls into one of the bowls arranged on the table. If their ball made it in, they recieved a prize. I saw one girl win a dollar by making her ping pong ball into one of the few blue bowls. She was so happy!

Relief From the Heat! (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Relief from the Heat!)

Before the obon dancing started, people mingled, ate, drank, played games such as Bingo or the fishing game, and shopped. The children invented their own way to pass the time on this very hot day. I saw two teams of children with waterguns, participating in an all-out watergun battle. I got sprayed a few times, but it didn't matter. The water was a relief from the heat!

Ready to Dance! (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Ready to Dance)

Although a majority of the attendees at the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (SFVBT) Obon were dressed in jeans and t-shirts, a few dressed up for the occassion! These two girls were part of the few... How cute!

Cherry Snow Cone (2007 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon - Cherry Snow Cone)

One of the longest lines at the obon was at the booth selling snow cones. It might have been due to the scorching weather, but I also know that snow cones are often a favorite at festivals and obons in Southern California. Mine was especially delicious!