Due to a typhoon the Chichibu Meat Festival was not able to go ahead as scheduled in the summer of 2023. The festival, which culminates with a fireworks display, was initially scheduled for August 13th. The new date and information for the festival in 2023 below…
Chichibu Meat Festival
They cancelled the event three years in a row, due to the pandemic. As this is the first time in four years that the event was scheduled, there was great disappointment when it couldn’t go ahead in August, this time due to a typhoon. However, it was just a postponement, not a full cancellation, thankfully. The new date is in the much cooler month of October. (See information section for specifics).
Update October 9th; the event is going ahead despite the rain, but a couple of changes have been made. For example, the bouncing castle is not available. However, they are currently still planning to have the fireworks. That may change during the course of the day. You can check for the most recent information on the official website here.
The festival combines a “meat festival” and a “beer garden,” to introduce the delicious beer and food of the Chichibu area. They started it in August 2012, as the “Chichibu Food Festival,” but for the revival of the event it has been give a new name, the “Chichibu Meat Festa.” But more than just food, the festival also has several life performances. In addition, they have a bouncing castle for kids and a small market too. Moreover, it culminates with a beautiful firework display.
On the day, eleven restaurants from around the city offer their ware at food stalls. Each restaurant has a “meat” theme, including meat dishes such as teriyaki pulled pork, drool chicken skewers, Chichibu barbecue plate, spare ribs, Fukaya beef sushi, charcoal-grilled aged beef shoulder loin, fried chicken with Cajun spice, grilled Chichibu offal, and roast pork, as well as beer. They are also offering event-limited menus, that are not normally available at their stores.
Fireworks
This year, a 30-minute fireworks display is planned at the end of the event, from 8 pm. Tei Inoue, who is a member of the Chichibu Restaurant Association that are sponsoring the event, and runs the izakaya Kintaro, said, “There will be fireworks this year, so I hope people will enjoy it as an event that combines food and fireworks. Unlike last year, there are no coronavirus restrictions, so we will have plenty of seats for the audience.” We will be making preparations, so we hope many customers will come…” Source: Chichibu Economic Newspaper.
Information
Event: Chichibu Meat Festival (Festa) 2023
Date: public holiday Monday October 9th.
Time: from 11:00 to 20:30. The fireworks display is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
Cost: there is no admission fee.
Venue: Chichibu Park (beside Chichibu City Hall), 24-5 Higashimachi, Chichibu, Saitama 368-0042. View on Google Maps.
Access
There is no official parking for this event. They request that you use a coin parking lot or come by public transport. The venue is close to the Seibu-Chichibu station – about a four minute walk. It is even closer to Chichibu Railway’s Ohanabatake Station!