[asiacouncil] Japan Currents Special Edition - Cherry Blossom Festivals 2018

[David L Starling]

All:


There are lots of Cherry Blossom festivals going on in our region. Be sure to catch one of them.


Cheers,




David Starling
Director
English Language Institute
Valdosta State University
1500 North Patterson St.
Valdosta, GA 31698
Tel. 229-219-1246
Take a Virtual Tour of VSU!<http://video.realviewtv.com/education/vsu/>


________________________________
From: Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta <info at aa.mofa.go.jp>
Sent: Thursday, March 1, 2018 10:04 AM
To: David L Starling
Subject: Japan Currents Special Edition - Cherry Blossom Festivals 2018

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Special Edition


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Macon, Georgia's International Cherry Blossom Festival (Macon, GA)
March 16-25, 2018
Various locations throughout Macon, GA

Each March, Macon becomes a pink, cotton-spun paradise as over 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees bloom in all their glory. For 10 days, festival-lovers are treated to one of the most extravagant displays of springtime color in the nation as they visit the town referred to by Congressional Records as the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World.
For more information, please visit the event website here<https://t.e2ma.net/click/68bwu/ymx71l/mhpopg>.






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Cherry Blossom Festival (Birmingham, AL)
March 17, 2018 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
2612 Lane Park Rd
Birmingham, AL 35223
Each year, we celebrate with food, crafts, performances, and other activities at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Japanese Garden to welcome the Spring. Enjoy hanami (flower viewing) in Birmingham! Cherry Blossoms, or sakura (桜、さくら）, only bloom for a few weeks each year. In Japanese culture, sakura represent mortality and remind viewers of the beauty and transience of life. Thousands of people flock to parks in Japan to see the blossoms. Come see our Birmingham cherry trees while they are in bloom!
This year’s festival will be brought to you in partnership with the Birmingham Sister Cities Commission.






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Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival (Conyers, GA)
March 24-25, 2018 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Georgia International Horse Park
1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway
Conyers, GA 30013
Celebrate Spring and Live Life in Full Bloom at the Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival! Shop among hundreds of unique art and craft exhibitors, eat your way through the multiple food courts, enjoy cultural performances, listen to live music, and play in the children's area. You don't want to miss this year's highlights, including the Grizzly Experience, Sound Garden and Country Artist, John King!

The Cherry Blossom Festival originated as a way to encourage cultural understanding and friendship through international music, dance, games, food and crafts. The cherry blossom is a symbol of short-lived beauty in Japan, and the City of Conyers embraces this tradition as well. The blooming of the cherry trees offers a time to reflect upon our lives. Like the blooming of the trees, life is short, so you have to appreciate and embrace it.

The Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival has received many awards over the years for Best Event in the Southeast by the Southeast Festival and Events Association. It has also been selected over the years as a Top 20 Event in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society.

Fees:
Admission is Free with $5 daily parking
Weekend parking passes are available for $8
Tour Buses: $8 daily fee
No Pets Please!






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Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival (Brookhaven, GA)

March 24-25, 2018 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Blackburn Park
3493 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Brookhaven, GA 30319
What do you get when you mix incredible live entertainment on a large, beautiful stage, a whimsical artist market featuring 100 regional artisans, a Kidz Zone loaded with fun, the popular “Pet World,” a classic car show, an anticipated 5k race and a delicious food court – all set in a beautiful park?  Of course, you get the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival, which ushers in the springtime on March 24 from 10 am to 7:30 pm and March 25 from 10am to 6pm in beautiful Blackburn Park.

Now in its fourth year, the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival will be bigger and better than ever.  Organizers for the City are excited to announce a powerhouse entertainment line up in addition to our very talented local schools and arts organizations will be on stage throughout the weekend.  Please check back in the coming weeks to see the line up.

The artist market will wind through the beautiful park with something for everyone this year, and shoppers will get to see incredible handmade items featuring jewelry, pottery, paintings, yard art, mixed media, photography, folk art and so much more!

Make sure to mark your calendars now for the exciting event, and tell your friends and neighbors!






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The Irmo Cherry Blossom Festival (Irmo, SC)

March 26 - April 8, 2018
Irmo Town Park
7330 Carlisle St
Irmo, SC 29063
The Irmo Cherry Blossom Festival seeks to enhance the lives of our citizens through the appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment of nature.
The main activities will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2017, and will include music of all kinds, provided by Freeway Music, including traditional Japanese music and many others. Since the focus is on nature and the serenity of the park,  the music will enhance, not overpower the beauty of our park.
During the extended event, there will be many free hands-on community events, including a Seed Swap, soil analysis for gardening, composting workshop, non-chemical insect control for plants, yoga, and floral/vegetable gardening workshops (sponsored by local nurseries.) The local elementary, middle, and high schools will be involved in these workshops, as well as after school programs and daycare facilities. Retirement and assisted living homes are invited to participate.
The one day Festival will simply be a large publicly promoted party where friends and strangers can come together, enjoy a meal and enjoy the natural beauty of Irmo.  Beyond that, people will be free to enter, observe and enjoy the blossoms on their own.  Food trucks and Bento boxes  will be available from local Irmo restaurants.  And to make it even easier to enjoy the event, we will offer a picnic package, consisting of Bento boxes, beverages, a tablecloth for ground covering, and traditional Happi (festival) coats for the one day event.
While this may not be the typical “fair type” Fesitival” with the vendors, kiddie rides, and loud music, it will be an event that can be enjoyed by those who prefer the quiet appreciation of nature, tradition, and community. This has been a strong factor in the commitment of support from local organizations.






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Cherry Blossom/Sakura Festival (Tuscaloosa, AL)

April 14, 2018 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Midtown Mall
1800 McFarland Boulevard East
Tucsaloosa, AL 35401
In traditional Japanese thought, the time of ohanami, or viewing of the cherry blossoms, reminds one of the paradoxically fleeting yet enduring nature of life, which is symbolized in the single moment when a cherry blossom petal detaches itself to float earthward.  In contemporary Japan, friends joyfully gather whenever the cherry trees, called sakura, blossom.

Ohanami is delightful on the UA campus at the corner of University Boulevard and Stadium Drive.  Takemine Mochizuki of Narashino City donated the cherry trees at Shelton State Community College, as well as those in the Narashino Grove of Lurleen Wallace Boulevard.  Also, you can view the lovely cherry blossoms at the UA Arboretum, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and from Interstate 20/59 just east of Skyland Boulevard.

Each year, the CIC, along with the sponsors and participants, holds a Sakura Festival in early spring.  The 30th annual Sakura Festival was held on April 9, 2016 at Midtown Mall in Tuscaloosa.  The program included a null kumdo sword demonstration, karate demonstration, taiko drumming and Okinawan traditional dance  The public was able to learn calligraphy, origami, participate in a Japanese tea ceremony, learn about our sister city, Narashino, and participate in other activities to learn more about Japanese culture.









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The Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta is an overseas establisment of the Government of Japan. The main function of our office is to protect Japanese nationals and economic interests, provide consular services and cultural exchange. There are 18 Japanese diplomatic missions in the United States. The jurisdiction of our office in Atlanta is Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta
Phipps Tower, Suite 850
3438 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30326
Email: info at aa.mofa.go.jp
Phone: 404-240-4300
Fax: 404-240-4311
Web: http://www.atlanta.us.emb-japan.go.jp <https://t.e2ma.net/click/68bwu/ymx71l/i6xopg>


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