Spring has come to Niigata! The "Echigohime Fair" is back this year! A Spring Festival of Echigohime Sweets & Bread

Niigata Prefecture is holding the "Echigohime Fair ~Spring Echigohime Sweets & Bread Festival~," an event to showcase the charms of its seasonal brand strawberry, "Echigohime."

At this event, popular confectionery shops, bakeries, and direct-sales farms from across the prefecture will gather, featuring a wide array of limited-edition menus and products made lavishly with Echigohime strawberries. It will be a two-day event where visitors can enjoy Echigohime gourmet treats that "can only be tasted here." Furthermore, we will also host content that allows visitors to experience the charm of Echigohime, such as the popular visitor-participation event "Echigohime Mount Challenge" and a special talk show by members of NGT48.

The much-talked-about Echigohime

Echigohime is a brand strawberry that Niigata Prefecture prides itself on, characterized by its soft, juicy flesh, strong sweetness, and rich aroma.

Due to the softness and delicacy of its flesh, it was not suitable for long-distance transportation and became a "phantom strawberry" that was not available outside the prefecture. As tourists visiting Niigata were impressed by its softness and fresh sweetness, and as it started appearing frequently in social media posts, its existence gradually became known, turning it into an "in-the-know" strawberry that is currently gaining attention.

The highly popular "Echigohime Fair" from last year will be held at Niigata Furusato Village!

Last year's "Echigohime Fair," which drew large crowds, will be held again this year at Niigata Furusato Village. Confectionery shops, bakeries, and farm stands from all over the prefecture will set up stalls, bringing together a diverse range of products using Echigohime. The venue was well-received by many visitors as a space completely "dyed in the color of Echigohime."

This year, titled the "Spring Echigohime Sweets & Bread Festival," the content is even more powered up! In addition to selling sweets and bread lavishly made with Echigohime, we will also implement hands-on content such as the sale of freshly picked Echigohime and the popular visitor-participation event "Echigohime Mount Challenge."

Also, on both days, members of NGT48 will hold an "Echigohime × NGT48 Special Talk Show" to promote the charm of Echigohime.

The event will be developed as a comprehensive experience of Echigohime's charms, where you can "eat, enjoy, and learn."

This event aims to widely announce the arrival of the full-fledged Echigohime season, promote visits from both inside and outside the prefecture, and create an opportunity to experience the appeal of Niigata's food.

This year too, vendors from all over the prefecture will participate! A diverse lineup of Echigohime products will be available!

Sweets and bread made with Echigohime will be all in one place!

Participating stores are a collection of trending and popular shops from within the prefecture! You can purchase sweets, bread, and more made with Echigohime at the venue.

**【Participating Stores】**

Pâtisserie Maruya (Murakami City), Sorbonne (Shibata City), Parlor Yaoya (Shibata City), paropato BAKERY (Shibata City), Tonton Ichiba (Niigata City), 45° (Niigata City), Mama's Table LOCO STYLE (Niigata City), Atelier Nemunoki (Niigata City), Relucks (Niigata City), Hachiku★Kitchen (Niigata City), flattydonuts (Niigata City), Bit Dolce & Gift (Niigata City), cafe Hanabatake (Niigata City/Furusato Village), Michi-no-Eki Teien no Sato Honai (Sanjo City), 3minute café (Tsubame City), Pain de Neige/Dolce Vita (Nagaoka City), Ottototo! Akira desu. (Nagaoka City), sweets lab baby mouth (Kashiwazaki City), Pan to Isu (Kashiwazaki City), FREAK FLEEK (Kashiwazaki City), Komugi no Dorei Joetsu Takada Store (Joetsu City)

*Vendors and products are subject to change. *Please check the official Echigohime website for the latest information: https://echigohime.net/

The "Echigohime Mount Challenge" is back this year! How beautifully can you pile them up!? A much-talked-about participatory event

We are holding the "Echigohime Mount Challenge" again this year, a participatory event where you challenge how high and beautifully you can pile up Echigohime strawberries within a 30-second time limit. The beauty of the appearance and the volume are the key points of the competition, making it a popular content that always gets exciting as visitors compete with each other.

Since you can take home your completed "personal Echigohime mountain," you can enjoy it not just as an experience but also as a souvenir.

How beautifully can you pile them up!?

Participation fee: 500 yen per try *Applications will be accepted on the official Echigohime website from Monday, April 6th. https://echigohime.net/

NGT48 returns this year! They will talk plenty about the charms of Echigohime!

An "Echigohime × NGT48 Special Talk Show" will also be held, where members of NGT48 as special guests will talk extensively about the charms of Echigohime! The following members from NGT48 will appear as guests.

**【April 18th (Sat) from 13:00】**

Kairi Sato (from Niigata Prefecture) Hiroka Sato (from Niigata Prefecture) Yuzuka Sato (from Tokyo)

**【April 19th (Sun) from 11:00】**

Aoi Shinzawa (from Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture) Mami Nakata (from Nagano Prefecture) Hiyori Minagawa (from Niigata Prefecture)

*Viewing methods will be announced at a later date on the official Echigohime website.