2nd Japan-America Friendship Festival
Sat, Oct 17
|Newport
Save the date. Our second annual family-friendly festival is scheduled for 17 OCT from 10am - 4pm
Time & Location
Oct 17, 2026, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Newport, 5 Touro Park St W, Newport, RI 02840, USA
About the event
Newport Japan-America Friendship Festival Returns with Taiko, Cosplay and Family Fun
The sound of taiko drums will carry through Touro Park again when the 2nd Annual Japan-America Friendship Festival returns to Newport on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
Hosted by the Japan-America Society of Southern New England, Inc.® (JASNE), the free open-air festival brings a full day of cultural performances, family activities, food vendors, artisan booths, and community connection to one of Newport’s most historic green spaces. The event runs 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, rain or shine, at Touro Park, 5 Touro Park St W, Newport, RI 02840.
Part of the long-running Newport-Shimoda Sister City relationship, the festival celebrates the friendship between Newport, Rhode Island, and Shimoda, Japan. It is coordinated with the Mayor, Newport City Council, and Newport’s Sister City Commission, and it invites all ages to spend the day learning, tasting, watching, making, and celebrating together.