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| Old Church Park in Waimea |
One of the
surprising events on Hawaii Island is the annual Cherry Blossom Heritage
Festival held in the town of Waimea.
Waimea sits at an altitude of 2677 feet above sea level in the interior
of the island. Instead of palm trees,
Waimea residents planted cherry trees that bloom in the town’s cool
winters. The town has a Cherry Blossom Festival to celebrate the
Japanese tradition of viewing cherry blossoms - hanami.
The 2015 festival is being held on Saturday, February 7 from
9 AM to 3 PM. The festival activities
are held throughout Waimea; pink banners identify the locations from the Parker
Ranch Historic Homes on Mamalahoa Highway 190 to the Hawaiian Homestead Farmer’s
Market on Highway 19.
The festival will have Japanese and multi-cultural
performing arts including demonstrations of Japanese cooking, a Bonsai exhibit,
Origami demonstrations, Taiko Drums, a Bon Dance, a traditional tea ceremony,
and mochi pounding. The festival also
includes a Quilt show, Farmer’s Market, Cherry Blossom Art show, entertainment,
and a History of Cherry Trees Exhibit.
Free shuttle transportation will be provided between most venues.
If you are on Hawaii Island in early February, you may want
to consider this unusual festival held in the interior of the island.
