Bushido Designs
Special Events
MARCH
First weekend in March is the Christine Palmer Antique Show in Portland, OR. Sometimes featuring the soon-to-be-famous-Custom Knife Makers Show.
2nd weekend is the San Diego Cherry Blossom Festival in San Diego, Ca. Wonderful Japanese festival in a beautiful park in lovely San Diego. Great event! Don't forget nearby Black's Beach for all you nekkid enthusiasts or voyeurs.
APRIL
The 2nd weekend in April means the not-to-be-missed Eugene, OR Knife Show put on by the Oregon Knife Collectors Assoc. Great show, 300 plus table full of everything you could want in a knife and more featuring famous knife makers like Allan Warren and Blair Todd, and more. Many more.
For two weekends in April comes the San Francisco Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival or Sakura Matsuri. That's right, two weekends of festival fun right in the middle of Japantown. I think this is the longest running Japanese Festival in the US at 50 some years!!
Next up is the San Jose, Ca. Nekkei Matsuri or Japanese festival. One of the longest running Japanese festivals in the US, possibly second only to the SFCB fest. (see above)
Santa Fe
Usually the same weekend as the San Jose Matsuri are two other Japanese events, and both are wonderful. This year (2017) I did the Santa Fe festival. Just like the San Jose event and the Salt Lake City festival this is a one day event which should be two days.
Very nice festival and it's indoors. Doesn't matter if it snows like hell, again!! the event is inside the SF Convention center. Great, great event and wonderful people.
SLC
And at the same time as the other two is the Salt Lake City Matsuri! Love this festival, the food, the fun, the anime costumes, demos, etc.
JUNE
OMG if you're going to take a vacation during the summer you have got to go to Denver for the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Everything all the other events have but it's in Denver, and who doesn't love Denver?
Coming up the 24th & 25th, 2017.
FEBRUARY
Puyallup, WA Another of Christine Palmer's wonderful antique shows.
Tampa, FL. Japanese Sword Show that shouldn't be missed if you like Japanese swords. Real Japanese swords. Usually the second weekend of Feb and held at the Tampa Airport Marriott Hotel. Fly in, fly out. So simple even this idiot can do it.
Eugene, OR Asian Celebration. Great Asian festival with great food, music, Taiko, dancing, vendors, marital arts demos, food, and fun for the whole family. Third weekend in Feb.
AZ Japanese Matsuri. Wonderful Japanese festival featuring only Japanese festivities including music, food, anime cosplayers (is that a word?), again with the marital arts demos, and great vendors with Japanese themed products.
JANUARY
Mid-January - Las Vegas Antique Arms and Custom Knife Maker Show. DO NOT MISS this show if you like knives and antiques weapons of all kinds. Usually held about the same time as the famous Las Vegas SHOT Show.
Vancouver, WA - Christine Palmer Antique Show. Usually held about the 3rd weekend in Jan. Antiques of all kinds.
AUGUST
Two events in August worth going to. First is the Northern California Japanese Sword Show at the San Francisco Airport Marriott. Fly in, fly out, so simple. Bring what you've got for an appraisal or go shopping at one of the 150 tables of antique Japanese swords. This is the biggest and best sword show in the US. Usually the first weekend of August.
Next up is the Hawthorne Street Fair on Aug. 27th all up and down Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR. Great local event full of fun things to do. And it's free!