Meiwa holds the two-day Saio Matsuri (斎王まつり) festival annually on the first full weekend in June to reenact part of the Saio procession traveling from Kyoto to the Saiku Palace.

On June 2–3, 2018, the 36th Saio Matsuri was held in Meiwa. It also happens to be the town's 60th anniversary. The festival is held near Saiku Station (Kintetsu Yamada Line) in the area where the Saiku Palace was located. It's now a large park-like area. On the festival's first day (Festival Eve) at 3:30 pm, the Misogi-no-Gi Ceremony is held at a small stream where the Saio dips her hands into the water for purification. Then they move to an outdoor stage near Saiku History Museum to conduct an evening ceremony and entertainment program from 5 pm to 9 pm. (In the case of rain, the event will be canceled.)