Shop ahead of the crowd! VIP Shopping Hour will take place an hour before doors open to the public on Saturday from 11 AM until noon. Attendees with VIP tickets will be granted early entry to both the Vendor Hall and the Artist Alley.

VIP Shopping tickets are currently sold out. For more information, please review the Registration Information page.

Come shop our fabulous participating vendors and artists! For more information about each vendor, please visit the Ursa Market page.

Vendor Hall: Sakura Room (Lobby Level)
Artist Alley: Spring Room (Garden Level)

11:00 AM - VIP Shopping
12:00 PM - Badge Holder Shopping
2:00 PM - General Attendance (no badge required)

If you’re a doll collector and interested in showing off your dolls while hanging out with other like-minded enthusiasts, come check out The Doll Museum! This event gives attendees the chance to socialize, show off their favorite dolls and take photos. If you don’t have any dolls or can’t bring them to the event, feel free to swing by anyway!

Participants may start setting up their displays starting at 12:00 PM. All types of Japanese fashion dolls, including BJDs, Pullips, Blythes and Dollfies are welcome! For more information about this event and its guidelines, visit the Doll Museum page.

For more information about dolls, check out our doll resource page!

Host: Avina-kei

The iconic British punk brand has been a mainstay in lolita wardrobes for decades, but is now enjoying a revival like no other thanks to being donned by mainstream celebrities and frequent features in pop culture properties like Nana and Final Fantasy. This panel will not only explore the history of the brand, but help you spot fakes and start your own collection!

About the host: Avina-kei is an orb who floated in from the East Coast who wants to babble about niche fashion topics.

Host: Casey Dahlin of the SF Go Club

Come by the San Francisco Go Club for an introduction to the game of Go. Invented in China over 2,500 years ago, Go is synonymous with East Asian culture and intellectual pursuits throughout the world. Simple and elegant, Go takes only minutes to learn, but is a challenge to fully master.

This event will take place at the SF Go Club, located at 22 Peace Plaza #501, on the second floor of the East Japan Center Mall. 

VIP badge holders are invited to a special solo coordinate photoshoot timeslot on Saturday OR Sunday! Meet in the outdoor garden before our normal gatherings for an individual photoshoot with our event photographer. VIP coordinate photos will be distributed when event photos are published online. VIP badge holders may only attend/participate in ONE VIP Photo session. Please plan accordingly!

Photo gatherings will take place in the outdoor garden, which can be reached by using the entrance next to the hotel bar on the lobby level. Location subject to change, especially in the case of rain. Please check back for an alternate location if needed.

*Only VIP badge holders are eligible. Non-VIP/GA attendees cannot be included.

4:00 PM - Sweet Lolita
4:30 PM - Classic Lolita
5:00 PM - Gothic Lolita

Photo gatherings will take place in the outdoor garden, which can be reached by using the entrance next to the hotel bar on the lobby level. In the case of rain, please check back for an alternate location. Attendees should note that each gathering will last for approximately 30 minutes, so plan your schedules accordingly. Photos taken by Bay Area Kei staff will be shared on Bay Area Kei's social media posts and website.

*There will not be solo shots for GA attendees during or after the gatherings.

Want to learn a new type of dance or brush up on old moves? Our dance lessons are beginner-friendly and prepare you for a night of revelry at the Holiday Ball!

2:00 PM - Slow Waltz
3:00 PM - East Coast Swing
4:00 PM - Club Cha-Cha
5:00 PM - One Step Tango & Line Dance (Abracadabra)

For more information, please see the Holiday Ball page!

Host: Tiffany of Dandy Puppeteer

Interested in the process behind making & assembling acrylic jewelry? Check out this in-depth guide on how to get started! This panel will share resources on how to find acrylic, suggestions for design software, what kind of equipment is needed, where to find tools, and strategies to enhance your jewelry making skills. After the slideshow presentation, we'll have a workshop where we will assemble acrylic jewelry for a hands on experience as well.

Come and enjoy our game lounge! Well-stocked with board games, card games, video games and more, our game masters will help you match up with a fun game and cool group of people to play with! Looking for something a little more solo? We’ll also have puzzles and coloring pages to enjoy by yourself. The game lounge is also home to our Libeary, which is stocked with hard-to-find media related to J-fashion, sewing, crafting, and more. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own games and friends and play together in our lounge.

For more information, see the Game Lounge page.

This event will take place at the KOHO Creative Hub, located at 1675 Post St, Second Floor, in the East Japan Center Mall. 

Host: Eden

Join a friendly art competition where we fuse J-fashion styles & icons to see what comes out! This is a multi-round competition where volunteers face off to combine funny and cursed prompts while racing against the clock. Show off your whiteboard art skills, wow the audience, and maybe even earn some fun prizes!

Hosts: Shin and Michelle

Thought about making accessories for your figures or plush bags, but don't know where to start? This is the panel for you! We'll start by going over tips and tricks, followed by a general Q&A. Afterwards, we'll host a limited workshop with materials provided -- no sewing skills needed! Finally, we'll wrap up with a swap portion. Bring your collectable dolls and their accessories, and trade with other attendees!

Max capacity: 10 workshop participants (no limit on other panel activities). Registration required.

Our Holiday Ball is a formal ball with social dancing. For more information about the dances, dress code, and event-specific policies, please see the Holiday Ball page.

The Ursa Major Coordinate Contest will take place during the Holiday Ball, in the Imperial Ballroom. For more information and contest rules, please review the Coordinate Contest page.

Contestants do not have to sign up ahead of time, but they must arrive before 8:15 PM to line up for the contest. Submit your coordinate information ahead of time!