Bunka Hashi Festival
Bunka Hashi Festival
September 26, 2026
Agri-Food Hub and Trade Center
101 Exhibition Wy S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4R3
Cost for entry $7.
18 and under free.
Tickets purchased at the door
About us
The Bunka Hashi Festival is back for 2026
The Bunka Hashi Festival is an all inclusive multi-fandom convention that is a mix of contemporary/pop Asian and traditional Japanese Canadian culture. There is a little bit of everything and you are sure to find something new and interesting.
Schedule of Events
| Start | Stop | Location | Title |
| 11:15 | 11:45 | Main stage | NCS Taiko |
| 11:45 | 12:30 | Main stage | NCS Minyo |
| 12:30 | 1:00 | Main stage | NCS Yosakoi |
| 1:00 | 3:00 | Main stage | Westcan Idol: Idol Showcase |
| 3:00 | 3:45 | Main stage | Traveling to Japan |
| 4:00 | 5:00 | Main stage | Cosplay contest |
| 4:30 | 5:00 | Main stage | Wheel of Anime Interlude |
| 5:00 | 6:00 | Main stage | Black Spears: combat demonstration |
| Gaming | |||
| Start | Stop | Location | Title |
| 10:00 | 1:00 | Salon C: Treasure Chest Games | Union Arena and Pokemon TCG Demo/Learn to play |
| 1:00 | 400 | Salon C: Treasure Chest Games | Union Arena Tournament |
| 4:00 | 6:00 | Salon C: Treasure Chest Games | Union Arena and Pokemon TCG Demo/Learn to play |
Workshops and panels | |||
| Start | Stop | Location | Title |
| 11:15 | 12:00 | Classroom 1 | Cosplay panel: Cosplay For Beginners |
| 12:00 | 12:45 | Classroom 1 | Cosplay panel: I Found it in the Trash: A Guide to Paint Weathering |
| 12:45 | 1:30 | Classroom 1 | Cosplay panel: Molding and Casting for Props and Cosplay |
| 2:00 | 3:15 | Classroom 1 | NCS Workshop: Bon seki |
| 3:15 | 4:30 | Classroom 1 | NCS Workshop: Sashiko |
| 4:30 | 5:30 | Classroom 1 | NCS Workshop: Origami |
Floorplan
Exhibitors
Our exhibitor area features many local artists and vendors
2026 will be our largest exhibitor area ever!
Table number Exhibitor E01 Star Cast Anime E02 Star Cast Anime E03 AKBpop E04 AKBpop E05 Brown Hams Creations E06 WerePrince Art E07 Bumblebee Tuna Studio E08 Nature’s Beauty by Yuki E09 The Armoured Artist E10 Cryleigh art E11 hamster_nault E12 KG Leatherworks E13 Stitch Twist Studio E14 Kila Kreations and Dawn Lilac Craft E15 Lethbridge Public Library E16 Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden E17 Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden E18 Lethfuridge E19 Animethon E20 Takodara Cap and Pin E21 Kyuubi Care E22 The Shy Shiba E23 Drawberry Art E25 Nature Girl E26 Kazumi Studio E27 Growing Geeks Canada E28 Growing Geeks Canada E29 Desert Turtle Armory E30 Wildabeast Retro+ Knitting Elf E31 Wildabeast Retro+ Knitting Elf E32 Wildabeast Retro+ Knitting Elf Food01 Haru Bagels+ Food02 Bakari Bakehouse Food03 Cookie Crimes Salon A NAJC Salon C Penmanifest Salon C Dinosity Fossils
Workshops and Panels
We will holding hands-on workshop activities and panels on a range of topics.
Cosplay events
We will be holding three cosplay panels as well as a cosplay contest
Cosplay panel: Cosplay For Beginners
Cosplay panel: I Found it in the Trash: A Guide to Paint Weathering
Cosplay panel: How to Make that Cosplay Yours
Performances
Powerful rhythms. Timeless traditions. High-energy J-Pop!
We are pleased to showcase traditional and contemporary Japanese performing arts at the Bunka Hashi Festival.
This year, the Nikkei Cultural Society (NCS) groups are bringing their incredible talents to our stage. Catch the thundering return of the NCS Taiko Drummers alongside the beautiful storytelling of the NCS Minyo Dancers.
We are also excited to host NCS Yosakoi performing the Yosakoi Naruko Dance—a dynamic style that seamlessly bridges traditional Japanese movements with modern choreography.
In addition to these traditional arts, we are thrilled to feature modern Japanese pop culture with a spectacular Japanese Idol Showcase hosted by Westcan Idols!
Tabletop and trading card gaming
We’re pleased to offer a range of video and tabletop gaming options at Bunka Hashi 2026.
This year Treasure Chest Games will be offering Union Arena and Pokemon TCG Demo/Learn to play as well as a Union Area tournament.
Entry fees for tournaments are in addition to the $7 Bunka Hashi entry fee and organized by the tournament host (Treasure Chest Games).
And of course representatives from Fallcon will be joining us, hosting tabletop gaming. This year we have a dedicated quiet gaming space and they will also be holding the ever popular Wheel of Anime in our main stage area.
*****Please note: unfortunately the Overdrive video game tournament has been cancelled*****
Food Options
