August 12, 2026 3:20 a.m. 

In the KQEN Cultural Spotlight:

Roseburg Sister Cities is hosting the Roseburg Obon Festival this Saturday at Stewart Park.

The event will include live performances, traditional Japanese music and dance, food, crafts, and activities for all age.

While it hasn’t been held in recent years, Roseburg Sister Cities held the first event Obon Festival in 1997. The event schedule includes activities from 12:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Attendees will be able to participate in a larger Obon Dance at 7:00 p.m. Origami activities will be held at the small pavilion until 4:00 p.m.

A variety of vendors and other organizations will take part in the event.

The relationship between Roseburg and Shobu began with a student trip to Japan in 1987. A formal sister-city relationship followed in the early 1990s. Shobu later became part of Kuki City and the relationship between the communities continued.

For more information about Roseburg Sister Cities, go https://roseburgsistercities.org/