OC Japan Fair Continues This Weekend After Friday Cancellation Due to Santa Ana Winds

Event dates: 2026-10-17 – 2026-10-18

Where: OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, United States

Genre: Japanese Culture Festival

OC Japan Fair 2026's Friday, October 16 session was cancelled due to forecast Santa Ana winds and safety concerns, but the festival continues as planned on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, with Friday ticket holders able to use their tickets on either remaining day at no extra cost.

Article

OC Japan Fair 2026 lost a day to the weather this week, but the festival itself is still very much happening.

Friday Cancelled, Weekend Proceeds

The organizer cancelled Friday, October 16 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California, citing forecast Santa Ana winds and safety concerns. Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 both proceed as scheduled, with vendor setup beginning at 6:30am on Saturday.

What Friday Ticket Holders Should Know

Anyone holding a Friday ticket can use it on either Saturday or Sunday instead, at no additional cost - no rebooking fee, no lost ticket value.

What's Actually Happening at OC Japan Fair

Confirmed programming across the weekend includes a cosplay show, a tuna cutting show, performances from Japanese artists and comedians, traditional Japanese instrument performances, games, and kimono meet-and-greet activities, alongside Shodo calligraphy and kimono craft workshops, anime merchandise vendors, and Japanese food vendors.

Ask Marine

Want to know what's still running this weekend, or what to do with a Friday ticket? Ask Marine.

More About This Event

This Year's Highlights

• Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 proceed as scheduled after Friday, October 16 was cancelled due to forecast Santa Ana winds and safety concerns.
• Friday ticket holders may use their tickets on either Saturday or Sunday at no additional cost.
• Programming includes a cosplay show, a tuna cutting show, Japanese artists and comedians, traditional instrument performances, and kimono meet-and-greet activities.

Tickets

Friday, October 16 tickets are valid for entry on either Saturday, October 17 or Sunday, October 18 at no additional cost.

Access

OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, California.

What To Know

For fans who already bought Friday tickets, the no-cost transfer policy is the single most useful piece of information right now - the cancellation costs them a day, not their trip, and the festival's full weekend programming is still happening.

Weather-driven safety cancellations are common at large outdoor-adjacent fairgrounds events in Southern California during Santa Ana wind season, and the organizer's response - transferring attendees to the remaining days rather than simply refunding them - mirrors how Japanese festival organizers also tend to prioritize keeping an event running over cancelling it outright when only part of the schedule is affected.

Easy Japanese

「OCジャパンフェア2026」は、強い風の予報のため金曜日は中止になりましたが、土曜日と日曜日は予定通り開催されます。

Marine's View

お天気には勝てませんよね。でも土日はちゃんと開催されるので、マグロの解体ショーとか見逃さないでほしいです。