About
LOCATION: San Francisco Japantown Peace Plaza, Post at Buchanan Streets
DATE: June 2, 2012
TIME: Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PRICE: FREE and OPEN to the public. Affiliated events may charge admission.
Purpose
The Nichi Bei Foundation will present this fundraising event to support the nonprofit community newspaper Nichi Bei Weekly, to promote the health benefits of soy bean product consumption and enhance the public knowledge of soy and tofu products.
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Our Beneficiary
About the Nichi Bei Foundation and the Nichi Bei Weekly
As the historic Nichi Bei Times board of directors decided to close the newspaper after 63 years in September of 2009, a group of Nichi Bei Times staff and contributing writers, media professionals and community leaders — encouraged and supported by the Japanese American community — set out to rebuild in the spirit of the pioneering Japanese immigrants, brick by brick.
They established the Nichi Bei Foundation, an educational and charitable nonprofit organization, as a means to support community organizations, shed light on community issues and document the community’s history. Just one week after the last edition of the Nichi Bei Times rolled off the presses, the very first edition of the Nichi Bei Weekly was published as the first nonprofit ethnic newspaper of its kind in the country.
Born in one of the worst economic climates in decades, with virtually no seed money, the pioneering rebirth of the Nichi Bei Foundation and the Nichi Bei Weekly has become one of the most inspired community movements in recent memory. Inspired by a community-serving historical legacy, the Nichi Bei Foundation and the Nichi Bei Weekly have a simple yet profound mission: to keep the community connected, informed and empowered.
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Soy and Tofu Dessert Competition
The Nichi Bei Weekly will be accepting original and creative Soy and Tofu Dessert recipes from the
public. Finalists will gather at the Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival to serve their Soy and Tofu Desserts for the judges. Finalist recipes will be published in a future Nichi Bei Weekly edition and the winners will have the opportunity to receive prizes from participating sponsor companies.
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Food Court and Vendors
The Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival is seeking product vendors for this event.
Vendors will be mentioned in promotional materiels, in the Nichi Bei Weekly, on the nichibei.org Website and in the Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival program. Vendors can sell non-perishable soy- and tofu-related products at the event, or any other items.
Vendor Accommodations
- All vendors will be provided a six-foot table and two chairs at the event;
10 x 10-foot tents available to rent for an additional $100 (recommended). - Vendors must provide their own table coverings.
- Vendors can have table banners or standing banners behind the table.
The Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival will feature soy- and tofu-related food
items for sale, coordinated by the Nakayoshi JACL Young Professionals.
2011 Food Vendors included:
- Nakayoshi Young Professionals
- Kikkoman
- Hodo Soy Beanery
- Megumi Natto -Japan Traditional Foods, Inc.
- San Jose Tofu
- Tofu Yu
- Traveling Takoyaki
- JapaCurry
2011 Non-Food Vendors included:
- Sumofish
- Black Lava
- Bok Choy Apparel
- filmmaker Jeff Adachi
Culinary Demonstrations
The Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival is looking into inviting celebrity chefs, either
for a more exclusive fundraising event in conjunction with the Festival at a different date
and time, an on-stage culinary demonstration, or both. This event, in itself, could be
sponsored by one or various entities, providing outstanding marketing value.
A Gateway to a Healthier Lifestyle
The Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival will invite guest speakers who are able to talk
about the nutritional benefits of tofu and soy products, their nutrition facts, as well as the
benefits of soy products in general. This could involve a panel focusing on the alternative
and innovative uses of soy, such as soy beauty treatments, soy milk, soy ink, soy candles
and the like.
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Entertainment
Music
The Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival aspires to showcase both community-based
and more well-known Asian American performers throughout the day-long festival.
“Tofun” — Interactive Audience Participation Games
To add additional “fun” to the Festival, there will be some interactive games, encouraging
audience members to the stage to participate in “Tofun.” Games included “Tofu or Not
Tofu,” where audience members try various soy and non-soy products, and have to guess
which ones actually include soy.
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For updates on the 2012 Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Click here to download the 2012 Sponsorship Package and Application Form.
