20th Annual Waimea Cherry Festival is Coming Up

The 20th Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival is Saturday, Feb. 2,  2013 and remembers its past with an anniversary exhibit, entertainment by some of the festival’s first performers and a commemoration of its founders.

Cherry Blossom Festival (photo provided by festival)

For two decades, the free community festival has showcased the 60-year-old cherry trees planted at Church Row Park and the Japanese tradition of viewing them—hanami. The event, held annually the first Saturday of February, includes a variety of activities 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at venues throughout Waimea—look for pink banners identifying site locations from the Parker Ranch Historic Homes on Mamalahoa Hwy. 190 to the Hawaiian Homestead Farmer’s Market on Hwy. 19.

Spend the day to experience an all-day lineup of Japanese and multi-cultural performing arts, plus hands-on demonstrations of bonsai, origami, traditional tea ceremony, fun mochi pounding and a host of colorful craft fairs. Enjoy free shuttle transportation among most venues. For info, 808-961-8706.