Japan Family Day at Santa Anita Park

Japan Family Day is a two-day celebration of Japanese culture at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, set for Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25. Organizers bill it as the largest Japanese family festival in Southern California, and it has grown into a reliable fall outing for families, anime fans and anyone who shows up mainly for the food. If you are sorting through things to do in Los Angeles this month, this one pairs a festival with a day at the racetrack.

When: Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days Where: Santa Anita Park, 285 W Huntington Dr, Arcadia Tickets: $5 through Sunday, October 18, then $10 after that and for walk-ups

What to expect

The festival is built around four things: food, pop culture, performance and a kids' area.

• Japanese festival foods from local and Japan-based vendors, with sake on hand for adults
• Anime, merchandise and a cosplay contest on stage, with costumes welcome
• Live taiko drumming on the grandstand stage, performed in front of the racecourse
• A matsuri section for younger kids with yo-yo fishing, character fishing games, masks and a bounce house

There is also Japan Family Quest, a stamp rally mixed with a treasure hunt. You collect stamps at stations around the grounds, and hints for the hidden treasures are posted on the festival's social media during the event. Finishing the quest gives you a shot at prizes.

Saturday also runs alongside the Tokyo City Cup Stakes, a race on the Santa Anita card, so the grounds will have a racing crowd mixed in with festival-goers. A pricier Japanese eats starter package bundles admission, parking, food scrip, a sake craft cocktail and trackside seating.

Planning your day

Buy early if you can. The $5 price ends after October 18, and the festival's early free-ticket offer was limited to the first 250 requests and has closed. Gates open at 11 a.m., so arriving near opening gives you shorter lines at the food stalls and an easier time with parking.

Santa Anita Park sits in Arcadia, in the San Gabriel Valley northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The trackside seating is open air, so bring sunscreen and a hat for an October afternoon.

For anyone building a list of upcoming events Los Angeles has on the calendar before Halloween, Japan Family Day is a low-cost, easy choice for a family. Check the official site for the vendor list, the day's schedule and any last-minute updates before you go.