Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden coming this weekend
The cherry blossoms are blooming, which means that it’s time for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s 33rd annual Sakura Matsuri Festival. The festival, which celebrates traditional and contemporary Japanese culture, will take place this weekend.
“This is getting bigger and bigger every year,” said Yoshi Amao, a samurai sword master and the master of ceremonies for the festival. “People enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms and the high-quality performances and also a very fun emcee. People are so, so energetic and I do some interactive activities with anyone that wants to enjoy it.”
Cherry blossoms are native to the Himalayas, but now grow in temperate climates all around the globe. They came to the United States in 1912 when Japan gave 3,020 trees as a gift. The first trees were planted in Sakura Park in Manhattan, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden planted its “cherry walk” in 1921. It is one of the largest collection of cherry blossoms in the country, and the festival, too, is one of the largest of its kind.