This weekend, New Yorkers can venture through Japan’s expansive culinary world without having to leave Queens at what is considered the world’s biggest Japanese festival.
On Sunday, June 30, dozens of vendors selling traditional and inventive Japanese food and drinks will be in Astoria. They will line Broadway from 45th to 46th Street from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The organizers of JAPAN Fes say that while most of their vendors hail from NYC, some travel from different states and countries to participate in the food-centric festival. The festival is an ongoing event, with JAPAN Fes being held at various locations throughout the city from February through November.
Vendors at the Astoria event will be selling bites such as gyoza, bento boxes, souffle pancakes, takoyaki, sushi tacos and many more Japanese delights. And for drinks, some vendors will have milk tea, sparkling yuzu drinks and green tea mansi to wash everything down.
When the festival first started in New York City in 2016, there were just three dates on the schedule. But the event grew in popularity and size, attracting more vendors and attendees eager to try everything they offer. This year, 33 dates have been scheduled for the season, which are being held across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
Following Sunday’s event in Astoria, the festival will move to the East Village, Upper East Side and Park Slope, among other neighborhoods, in subsequent weekends.
The organizers say that the festival has had over 500,000 annual attendees in recent years. Furthermore, over the course of a season, 1,500 vendors participate in the festival.
Japan Fes was in Astoria in April, shortly after the 2024 season began. The event on Sunday marks the last Queens event until the 2025 season.
