October 5th, 2025 - Bridging Cultures: Jeff Winchester and the Aki Matsuri Festival
In this heartfelt edition of The Little Grass Shack, Island Emory welcomes longtime supporter and community leader Jeff Winchester, a Las Vegas-based civil rights attorney and cultural ambassador with deep ties to Japan. Together, they celebrate the spirit of aloha and explore Jeff’s journey from teaching English in Tokyo to co-founding Nevada’s annual Aki Matsuri Festival, a vibrant celebration of Japanese culture held on Water Street in Henderson.
Jeff shares stories of his 11 years in Japan, how he helped grow the festival from a small local gathering into an event drawing over 15,000 attendees, and the importance of cross-cultural exchange between Las Vegas and Japan. Listeners will also hear about festival highlights — from taiko drumming, authentic food booths, and sake tastings, to a special roundtrip Japan Airlines raffle giveaway.
Whether you’re an anime fan, a foodie, or simply seeking community and connection, this episode invites you to embrace aloha, celebrate cultural unity, and say “Ganbatte kudasai” — keep going, don’t give up.
