Every June, the city of Santa Cruz gathers together to celebrate its Japanese roots. The festival takes place at Mission Plaza and features a lot of good things to do, including drumming demonstrations, ice cream made from green tea, storytelling, and arts. It's a hugely popular festival and a lovely addition to visits to the Santa Cruz boardwalk and beaches. Have you been?
nicest event in Santa Cruz i've been last year...i would overall give it a 5 out of 5 stars! My family and i had lots of fun tasting foods from the many different vendors, and the the kids enjoyed themselves in the fun areas. The festival is def great if you want to learn about Japanese culture..you'll get to see demonstrations of tea ceremonies, Ikebana flower arranging, Bonsai presentations and martial arts.
This does sound like a lot of fun. I haven't been to this part of the California coast, but I've always wanted to go. Santa Cruz is famous for its beauty, and I think it would be fun to go during the festival and get some sushi!