Aki Matsuri Japanese Fall Festival
25th Anniversary of New Mexico Taiko

Albuquerque, NM, October 1, 2006 – The Albuquerque-based New Mexico Japanese American Citizens League (NMJACL) will host the Aki Matsuri Japanese Fall Festival on Sunday, October 1st from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A $1.00 Admission is being charged as a fundraising for a proposed Japanese Cultural Center. Parking & Entertainment are FREE. The festival will be located at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on the southwest corner of Menaul Blvd. (Indian School Road NW) & 12th Street, (Easy Exit from I-40 to 12th Street North).

Aki Matsuri celebrates the Japanese culture and features Japanese/Okinawan dancing, arts and crafts, martial arts, food, cultural displays, and taiko drumming. This year’s festival celebrates the 25th anniversary of New Mexico Taiko and will also include performance from out of town Taiko groups, like Sonora Odiako. Raffles with valuable prizes will also be available.

The NMJACL has been hosting this type of festival each year for over 25 years. Last year’s festival attracted over 7,000 visitors in a 6-hour period. The purpose of the festival is to promote cultural awareness and education within our diverse multicultural community.

NMJACL is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Our primary focus has been, and continues to be, to protect and ensure the civil and human rights of all people in and outside of New Mexico. The NMJACL has been active in working with other organizations within the community to promote the brother/sisterhood of all cultures in New Mexico. Membership to the organization is open to all, with non-Japanese individuals also holding leadership positions on the Board of Directors. We serve the community in providing cultural education, scholarships, civil rights education and support, and community outreach.