Brooklyn Botanic Garden\u2019s (BBG) cherry blossom festival, Sakura Matsuri\u2014popularly considered New York City\u2019s rite of spring and the largest annual event in a U.S. public garden\u2014will celebrate its 35th edition on April 30 and May 1, 2016. Taking place during hanami, the Japanese tradition of enjoying each moment of cherry blossom season, Sakura Matsuri festivities extend beyond BBG\u2019s spring blooms, with over 60 energetic and dynamic performances, demonstrations, and exhibits showcasing traditional and contemporary Japanese culture. This cultural event\u2019s distinctive entertainment and community spirit attracts one of the largest, most colorful audiences in the city.<\/p>\n
Tweet This!
\nCosplay and kimonos, taiko and tea: #SakuraMatsuri celebrates Japanese culture @bklynbotanic April 30 and May 1! bbg.org\/sakura<\/p>\n
Among the performances this year is Yuzu\u2019s Dream: An Urban Folk Odyssey, pairing J-pop phenomenon Yuzu with producer-choreographer Akim Funk Buddha in a spectacle of sound and origami-clad dance. The Asterplace brings high-octane J-rock with anime themes to the main stage on Saturday. Sachiyo Ito and Dancejapan and the Japanese Folk Dance Institute of New York\u2014two companies that have performed at every Sakura Matsuri over the past 35 years\u2014will bring traditional dance artistry to the main stage. Several taiko drumming ensembles\u2014including Taiko Masala, Soh Daiko, and Cobu\u2014will bring their thunderous beats to the festival. On the J-Lounge Stage, standup comic Rio Kioke will introduce his Tokyo-flavored blend of laughter and magic; J-pop group 2UNE will offer its sunny stylings; and Charles Battersby will present \u201cCosplay 101\u201d to introduce visitors to this popular performance art. BBG\u2019s Parasol Society Fashion Show, a prim and proper pageant of grand proportions, will feature live music by the Hanami Ensemble. The Seventh Annual Sakura Matsuri Cosplay Fashion Show, a perennial favorite, will conclude the festival celebration on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Performers and artists from all over Japan converge at Sakura Matsuri. Origami master Taro Yaguchi of Taro\u2019s Origami Studio will travel from Tokyo for his Colossal Origami demonstration, which features nine-foot sheets of paper. The troupe Takarabune Dance will be on hand to perform the traditional 400-year-old awa odori dance from the island of Shikoku. Soumi Shimizu and S\u014dkyo Shimizu and other tea masters will be part of BBG\u2019s Tea Center, with an expanded two-day series of tea ceremonies and talks.<\/p>\n
Kids and families will delight in hands-on activities, including a taiko drumming workshop; origami folding and manga drawing classes; a Bamboo Insect Hotel workshop, where kids craft lodging for their buggy friends; and the Sohenryu Family Tea Ceremony, with masters Soumi Shimizu and S\u014dkyo Shimizu.<\/p>\n
Other highlights include book signings with authors and illustrators Rumi Hara, Kate T. Williamson, Abby Denson, Kensuke Okabayashi, April Vollmer, and Misako Rocks!; workshops in manga drawing and origami; and displays of bonsai and ikebana flower arranging.<\/p>\n
The Japanese Market at the Osborne Garden J-Lounge will feature handcrafted arts, crafts, fashion, and edibles. Traditional tenugui towels in an array of whimsical prints by Wuhao Tenugui Art; sushi pillows by Sushi Designs New York; curated vintage kimonos straight from Japan by YokoDana Kimono; tabi socks, ninja boots, and geta shoes, courtesy of GreenTea Design; chocolates inspired by Japanese flavors from Brooklyn\u2019s own Raaka Chocolate and Japan’s Royce’ Chocolate Shop, and exquisite Japanese confections by Minamoto Kitchoan will be among the items for sale in the market.<\/p>\n
This spring, Brooklyn Botanic Garden also celebrates the 100th anniversary of its iconic Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. During Sakura Matsuri, visitors will have a chance to tour the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden with BBG Garden Guides. The annual cherry display is tracked on BBG\u2019s CherryWatch web page, which maps the main part of the collection and provides a daily blooming status for each tree, as well as detailed information about each cultivar. This year, the Garden encourages visitors to share their own cherry blossom images\u2014amateur or professional\u2014on social media, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, using the hashtag #brooklynbotanic. Photographers can also post images in BBG\u2019s visitor photo pool on Flickr.<\/p>\n
Admission to Sakura Matsuri is $25 for adults and $20 for students (12 to 17) and seniors (65 and over). BBG members and children under 12 years of age enter for free. Admission fees will be charged all weekend during Sakura Matsuri. Events are free with festival admission and will be held rain or shine.<\/p>\n
Advance tickets can be purchased online at bbg.org\/sakura. Brooklyn Botanic Garden members and ticket holders skip the lines. Visit bbg.org\/join to become a BBG member. Please visit bbg.org\/visit for information on special entrances, including express entrances for BBG members and advance ticket holders.<\/p>\n