Our Mission
Artist Lelend Wong with the Nihonmachi Street Fair Volunteers silk screening one of his many iconic posters for the event.
Founded in 1973, the Nihonmachi Street Fair was hatched as an idea to provide leadership and mentorship opportunities for the youth of J-Town and to honor the cultural heritage that was, at the time, at risk of being displaced. Since then the annual event has grown from a four-booth affair to a two-day event expected to draw over 30,000 attendees in 2018.
What makes this street fair a uniquely San Francisco event is the broader cultural context participants can experience in addition to traditional Asian-Pacific influences. The Nihonmachi Street Fair organizers have a long history of including local entertainment that have spanned genres from Taiko to hip-hop to salsa, rock, and jazz.
The Nihonmachi Street Fair proudly evolves to reflect the city it celebrates while staying true to its original mission:
Engage and develop young Asian American leaders through the development of building community that celebrates our culture and diversity.
The event is produced, staffed, and organized by youth volunteers, thus providing practical, hands-on experience in collaboration, entrepreneurship, and problem solving.
The Nihonmachi Street Fair is proud of its 49 year history in serving the community through the yearly fair, service, and youth mentorship. As a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, the Nihonmachi Street Fair receives a grant from the San Francisco Grants for the Arts Program but must rely on income generated through advertising revenue, sponsorship and additional fundraising to underwrite fees, expenses, and logistical costs associated with producing this annual community celebration.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Many of our participants, like Kimochi, Inc. have been participating since the very 1st Nihonmachi Street Fair. Our community have been standing with us for over 45 years!
OuR VOLUNTEERS ARE THE CORE OF THE ORGANIZATION
Volunteering for the Nihonmachi Street Fair gives our youth the opportunity to get a hands-on experience in organizational skills, producing events, and most importantly become future leaders in our communities. Sign up and be a part of the NSF family!