Submitted by Cherry Blossom Festival
The city would like to invite everyone to the 30th annual Cherry Blossom Festival honoring Cupertino’s sister city relationship with Toyokawa, Japan. The festival will be held at Memorial Park, Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and April 28, 2013. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 a.m. and admission is FREE.
The festival offers a wide selection of Japanese food and beverages, entertainment, demonstrations, cultural exhibits, art, crafts and clothing for sale. A special children’s section will feature activities, hands-on arts & crafts, and a petting zoo.
During the festival, a series of indoor cultural displays and demonstrations will be featured in the Quinlan Community Center. Other cultural exhibits and demonstrations include Bonsai (miniature trees/plants), various Japanese dolls and doll making demonstrations, ikebana (flower arranging), Suiseki (Japanese rocks), origami (paper folding), shodo (calligraphy), Japanese swords, and sumi-e (brush painting).
Outdoor displays near the Quinlan center will include a “Kidz Zone” with games, a petting zoo, koi fish, and Akita and Shiba Inu dogs will be shown on the lawn behind the food court.
All-day outdoor entertainment takes place in the park amphitheater. Among the scheduled events are Taiko groups, Japanese dancers, various martial arts, children and adult musical performances.
Food and drink offerings will include gyoza (meat in Japanese pastry), chicken salad, tempura, yakisoba, mochi, teriyaki hot dogs, fruit-on-a-stick, teriyaki chicken with rice in a bowl, shave ice, coffee, smoothies, beer, sake, plum wine, sodas, bottled water and lemonade.
Craft booths throughout the park will offer a wide variety of items for sale, including cards, paper sculptures, pottery, jewelry, washi eggs and dolls, Japanese antiques, clothing, paintings, candles, photos, woodwork and T-shirts.
The 200 cherry trees and the two traditional lanterns at the park were gifts to the City of Cupertino from Toyokawa.
The festival benefits the nonprofit Cupertino Sister City Committee, which promotes friendship and conducts an annual student exchange program with Toyokawa, Japan. Local nonprofit organizations that support services for disadvantaged, youth sports, student service groups, music and language programs will have booths with a variety of activities.
Parking is available at nearby De Anza College.
For further information about the Cherry Blossom Festival, call festival coordinator, Asif Kausar 408-940-5287 or visit www.cupertinotoyokawa.org.
Correction: The original publication of this article mentioned a ceremony on Saturday with a presentation of an additional cherry tree. That will not happen. It was an event that occurred at the 2012 ceremony and was inadvertently left in from a previous press release. We apologize for any confusion.
