There is something peaceful about the Cherry Blossoms. I could spend hours looking at the wind blowing on them and the delicate little petals flying away.
My favorite place to see the Cherry Blossoms is the Hakone Gardens in the
South Bay. It is a little hidden cove in the Saratoga Hills that
used to be the secondary home of Oliver and Isabel Stine from San
Francisco. Isabel embraced the Japanese culture after visiting the
1915 Pan-Pacific Exhibition and traveled to Japan where she was
inspired to create a Japanese garden setting around the home. It is
now under the care of the Hakone Foundation. You will find there
peace and quiet. Bring a picnic (there is a picnic area) and plan
to spend a peaceful afternoon. Children will be entertained by the
big kois, the turtles, the bamboo forest, watch the video to have a
feel of it:
Are you looking for something more lively? There are
two Cherry Blossoms festivals celebrating the Japanese Culture
in the Bay Area this month: one in San Francisco and the
other in Cupertino (South Bay).
Saturday April 18 th and Sunday April, 19th
San
Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival in
Japantown
The Street Fair will include a food bazaar, featuring traditional Japanese cuisine and cooking demonstrations, a Japanese traditional arts and crafts fair, and a children's village. Entertainment stages will feature performances by Japanese classical and folk dancers, martial artists, taiko drummers and others.
Grand Parade
The Cherry Blossom Festival Grand Parade will be held on Sunday,
April 19, 2009.
What they say: The parade begins at the Civic Center at
1:00p.m., proceeding up Polk to Post Street, and ending in
Japantown at Post and Fillmore streets. A number of performers from
Japan will be performing. Japanese classical (Buyo) and folk dance
(Minyo) groups representing the Bay Area will perform throughout
the parade route like a myriad of floating butterflies.
Highly honored Boy Scout Troops from the Japanese American communities will march proudly along the streets. Streams of colorful floats will be carrying young women representing Japanese American and other Asian communities.
World renowned San Francisco Taiko Dojo will keep the parade upbeat with the thundering sound of the taiko, and this year's Queen and her Court will cascade their way to Japantown. Anchoring the parade is the exciting Taru Mikoshi that will be hoisted by over one hundred strong individuals from throughout the Bay Area. It is a spectacle not to be missed.
Click here to download the complete schedule of events
Saturday, April 25, 2009 - Sunday, April 26, 2009 (10am
- 5pm)
25th Annual Cupertino
Cherry Blossom Festival
Memorial Park - 21267 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA
Parking ($2.00) for the general public is directly across the
street from the Park.
They are the winner of a Bay Area Parent Best Festival Award
What they say: Crafters and artists that feature Japanese items or
better quality art or craft items imported from Japan are allowed
in this event as well as traditional American arts and crafts.
Booths are arranged around a small lake. Japanese drummers and
other entertainment including a major cultural display attract fair
goers from the entire South Bay Area. You will be able to find
excellent Japanese food provided by non-profit groups.
If you want to see the Cherry Blossoms in the Bay Area or elsewhere
in the US, read my article ‘Where to admire Cherry Blossoms’
on
Trekaroo (Trekaroo is the resource for parents to find
reviews, get tips, ask questions, and connect with like-minded
travelers around the world).
Lydie Thomas is a Travel Whisperer and mother of two little avid
travelers. She is sharing her tips and tricks on visiting the San
Francisco Bay Area with children. She also loves to share her
French culture and tips on vacationing in France with little ones.
Subscribe to her blog www.travelismorefunwithkids.com or
follow me on twitter @lydiethomas.
