CUPERTINO — The 2013 Cherry Blossom Festival, is a celebration of Japanese culture, will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Memorial Park, Stevens Creek Boulevard and Mary Avenue in Cupertino.
The city would like to invite everyone to the 30th annual festival honoring Cupertino’s sister-city relationship with Toyokawa in Aichi Prefecture.
The festival offers a wide selection of Japanese food and beverages, entertainment, demonstrations, cultural exhibits, art, crafts and clothing, plus a special children’s section.
A series of indoor cultural displays and demonstrations will be featured in the Cupertino Community Center, including bonsai, Japanese dolls, ikebana, suiseki, origami, shodo (calligraphy), Japanese swords, and sumi-e (brush painting).
Outdoor displays near the Quinlan Center will include a “Kidz Zone” with games, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, and a display of koi and Akita and shiba dogs on the lawn behind the food court.
All-day outdoor entertainment takes place in the park amphitheater. Among the scheduled performers are taiko groups, Japanese dancers, various martial arts dojos, and children’s and adult musical groups.
Food and drink offerings will include gyoza, 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 (Japanese paper) eggs and dolls, Japanese antiques, clothing, paintings, candles, photos, woodwork, and T-shirts.
The festival benefits the nonprofit Cupertino Sister City Committee, which promotes friendship and conducts an annual student exchange program with Toyokawa that was established in 1979. 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.
Free parking is available at nearby De Anza College.
For a recap of last year’s festival, view this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoBxiRx-lUI
For a complete schedule, visit www.cupertinotoyokawa.org/index.php/cherry-blossom-festival. For more information, contact the Cupertino-Toyokawa Sister City Program at (408)-827-8336 or info@cupertinotoyokawa.org.