Yokohama Festival 2026 at Balboa Park

San Diego–Yokohama Sister City Society lists Yokohama Festival for Saturday, November 14, 2026, across Balboa Park. The day celebrates 70 years of sister-city friendship. The main festival and Mottainai Market run 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Gateway in the Recital Hall runs 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Those three pieces are free. CleanPic community cleanup check-in starts at 9:00 a.m. for a 10:00 to 11:00 cleanup at $10 per person. The 70th Anniversary Reception at Balboa Park Club runs 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and is ticketed. KPBS lists the reception at $30 with registration through yokohamafest.com; confirm the live cart before you treat that number as final.

The Main Stage schedule names Honu Sumo at noon, Bon Dance Joy at 1:00, Hau'oli Hula Club at 2:00, Southern California Koto Ensemble at 3:00, and Buddhist Temple of San Diego Taiko at 4:00. Expect community booths, a House of Japan exhibition, Yokohama tourism info, GREEN×EXPO 2027 presence on the International Lawn, and a circular Mottainai Market. Organizers ask guests to bring a reusable water bottle and bag. Four zones sit a five-to-ten-minute walk apart around the International Cottages. Paid Balboa Park lots are the parking plan through the end of 2026; Lower Inspiration Point still posts a free three-hour option for nonresidents with a shuttle deeper into the park.

This is Balboa Park Japanese sister-city energy, not Mira Mesa temple Diwali and not Convoy restaurant row. The Japanese Friendship Garden a short walk away is the other San Diego–Yokohama friendship project in the park, but this Saturday's free programming sits on the International Cottages lawn, not inside garden admission. San Diego Asian Film Festival is already mid-run earlier in November. Tezukuri-Ichi at the Friendship Garden is the handmade holiday market on November 21. Bargain Market in Mira Mesa is the free north-city night market on November 28.

Who this is for: families who want a free Japanese culture afternoon in Balboa Park, and anyone stacking a cleanup morning with a festival afternoon. Skip the reception if you only want free outdoor programming. Skip CleanPic if $10 and a morning work shift are not your plan. Friday's Rocco tribute at Analog & Grit ($25) and Sunday's SYLA Leadership Retreat at Alliant are ticketed sister events, not the free park day.

Arrive near 11:00 for the main stage open. Wear walking shoes between zones. If you want Honu Sumo or the closing taiko set, treat those posted stage times as the spine of the afternoon and fill booths around them. Confirm map updates and the reception cart at yokohamafest.com, or email info@yokohamafest.com. Bring a layer if you stay for the Gateway close at 6:00.

When: November 14, 2026 (festival/market 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. free; Gateway to 6:00; CleanPic $10 morning; reception 6:00–9:00, $30)
Where: Balboa Park, House of Pacific Relations International Cottages, San Diego, CA
Last checked: November 10, 2026

Details at yokohamafest.com.