Category: Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
This afternoon, the Shiamak Davar dance group performed a spectacular dance routine with kite master Egan Davis playing the lead. This Blossom Bollywood event took place on the Queen Elizabeth Theatre plaza.
After two performances by Shiamak Davar dancers (dressed in beautiful costumes), audience members were invited to learn a dance routine and perform it to music.
Then, we gave the floor to Egan Davis and Shiamak Davar dancers who dazzled us with an amazing dance routine performed with pink kites. Check out a video of the kite dance performance. The kites were a new addition to the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.
There were lots of haiku activities at the Leith Wheeler Haiku House during Sakura Days Japan Fair: haiku workshop, haiku rocks, haiku weathergrams, bookmaking, haikuseum. We had lots of fun getting people inspired to write haiku for the upcoming Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational.
Meanwhile, visitors in the garden were able to read haiku on bamboo sticks and haiku written in chalk (thanks to Michael Dylan Welch for this great project installation!)
If you missed the haiku workshop and the bookmaking workshop at Sakura Days Japan Fair, you’ll have a second chance. There will be a haiku workshop followed by a bookmaking workshop at the Kerrisdale Community Centre Picnic on Sunday April 26/15.
The Sakura Illumination that took place at Charleston Park tonight was a truly magical experience.
When I got there shortly before 8:00pm, it wasn’t dark yet. The lanterns were turned on and the two Tree Fairies performers were rehearsing their dance routine celebrating the arrival of spring.
When the sun was set, the Tree Fairies, Cherri and Blossom, began their beautiful dance accompanied by mesmerizing music. Lights were projected over the white Ukon cherry blossoms.
When the 10 minute dance routine was over, people were invited to wander around the cherry trees and take pictures of the lanterns.
The light inside the lanterns changed from white, yellow, blue, green, red. It was beautiful.
The lanterns offered a unique view of Ukon cherry blossoms at night.
After 20 minutes of admiring the lanterns and wandering under cherry blossoms, spectators were asked to return to the viewing area for the next dance performance by Cherri and Blossom.
I moved to get a wide shot. From the back row, even though you couldn’t see the dance performance, you could see the beautiful lanterns, the light show, and hear the music.
The crowd at the performance was composed of families having picnics, friends, and lots of photographers. The atmosphere was very friendly. There was about 200 spectators.
Charleston Park is right next to the seawall. You could see the Granville bridge in the distance.
Sakura Illumination was created by Stuart James W. from HFour. I really liked how they allowed spectators to get up and wander under the trees between performances, making this a truly immersive experience.
‘Yozakura’ (cherry blossom viewing at night) has been done in Japan for many centuries. Seeing our beautiful Vancouver cherry blossom illuminated was a unique experience — made even more special by the fact that this year, Sakura Illumination was a ‘one-night only’ event.
Photo credit: Jessica Tremblay
We’re looking for volunteers for the 2015 Vancouver Cherry Blossom festival! Photographers, kite-makers, and everyone else who has a passion for the blossoms!
If you have a passion for our 40,000 flowering cherry trees and like meeting new people, our festival events offer a wide range of fun and exciting volunteer positions for you from Cherry Jam Downtown and Sakura Days Japan Fair to Tree Talks & Walks and Bike the Blossoms!
To volunteer for these Festival events, please contact [email protected] .
The Festival is specifically looking for Cherry Scouts for every Vancouver neighbourhood. Cherry Scouts photograph and report to the Festival on the progression of the blossom so everyone can enjoy the show! To learn more about being a Cherry Scout please click here: Cherry Scout. To volunteer as a Cherry Scout, email [email protected].
Share your skills and spread the joy!
On this first day of the Sakura Days Japan Fair, many haiku activities took place at the glasshouse.
A lot of people came to the Leith Wheeler Haiku House to learn more about haiku.
During her workshop Haiku “Rocks!”, Angela Naccarato instructed participants on how to write a haiku.
Then, participants wrote their haiku on a painted rock.
Angela Naccarato and musician James Mullin were part of the lineup of poets reading from 12.00-1.00
Michael Dylan Welch gave a workshop about haiku from 1.00-2.00
Terry Ann Carter showed us how to make a beautiful haiku book from 2.00-3.00
With our haiku notebook in our pocket, it was time to take a walk to the Haiku Rock from 3.00-4.00.
The Haiku Rock (located in the cherry grove) features the top winning poems from the first three years of the VCBF Haiku Invitational contest).
Back at the Glasshouse, participants could test their Haiku IQ at this table and also read a tiny haiku… using a magnifying glass!
Visitors were able to get free advice on how to write a winning haiku from our team of volunteers who are past judges and past winners of the Haiku Invitational: Terry Ann Carter (2013 judge), Michael Dylan Welch, Carole MacRury, Johnny Baranski, Vicki McCullough, Angela Naccarato, Jacquie Pierce, and Jessica Tremblay.
All haiku activities will take place again on Sunday April 6, 2014.
Come to the glasshouse to learn more about haiku!
Schedule of Haiku Activities
in the Glass House
Sunday April 6, 2014
10:00a – 5:00p How to Write a Winning Haiku (ongoing)
10:00a –12:00p Crafts: Notebooks with Vicki and Jacquie
12:00p – 1:00p Readings: Terry Ann Carter, Carole MacRury, Young Shakespeareans, Johnny Baranski, and Angela Naccarato with flute accompaniment by James Mullin
1:00p – 2:00p Learn About Haiku (workshop) with Michael Dylan Welch
2:00p – 3:00p Bookmaking (workshop) with Terry Ann Carter
3:00p – 4:00p Haiku Walk with Michael Dylan Welch(meet at the Glass House)
3:00p – 5:00p Crafts: Haiku ‘Rocks!’ with Angela Naccarato
At Sakura Days Japan Fair (April5-6, 2014), Terry Ann Carter will lead a small-book making workshop for anyone—children, teens, adults—who would like to learn the basic folds for an accordion book and to make a haiku notebook.
Terry Ann reproduced some Japanese stamps that can be used on the covers.
The closures will be elastic bands, thread or yarn.
Terry Ann found a custom stamp designer in Victoria who made a “my haiku book” stamp.
Take your haiku notebook with you on the haiku walk or decorate it on the spot with haiku and collage to make a “one of a kind” art book.
Papers are provided. The workshop is free, but you must buy a Sakura Days Japan Fair ticket to enter the site.
Saturday April 5 2014
2:00p – 3:00p Bookmaking (demo) with Terry Ann Carter
3:00p – 5:00p Make a Haiku Notebook (workshop) with Terry Ann Carter
Sunday April 6 2014
2:00p – 3:00p Bookmaking (demo only) with Terry Ann Carter
At Sakura Days Japan Fair this Saturday April 5-Sunday April 6 2014), stop by the free Cherry Rush tent, located outside the VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visitor Centre. All newcomers to Vancouver and Canada are warmly welcomed to come have fun with the photo booth and find out how to celebrate Vancouver’s cherry blossoms. They will then officially be a member of the ‘Cherry Blossom Fraternity’! (Funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.)
Using the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Neighborhood maps for the first time can be intimidating. Here are some tips.
Let’s say you want to go cherry blossom viewing in Vancouver and want to know which cherry trees are blooming now in your neighborhood:
- Go to: http://www.vcbf.ca/maps/Map.html The map will open, showing trees that are blooming now.
- Click on Neighborhood to see which trees are blooming in your neighborhood.
- Select a location or a type of tree (cultivar). A bubble with a photo of the tree and location will pop up on the map.
- Click on See forum postings. You’ll be directed to the UBC Forum where you can find more information and pictures about the tree.
When I saw on the map that there was an Okame cherry tree blooming in my neighborhood – and I had never seen and Okame cherry tree before – I took my bike and immediately went to visit this beautiful tree.
Discover new types of cherry trees
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Perhaps you would like to see an Accolade, or a A Whitcomb? The neighborhood map can help you find various types of cherry trees:
- Click on Cultivars to discover a new type of cherry trees and see its location.
There are 54 varieties of cherry blossoms in Vancouver. They’re all worth a visit. Try to discover at least 5 different cherry trees every spring. You’ll be an expert in no time!
Tips
Still think the neighborhood maps are too complicated? Visit our Blooming Now page to keep up-to-date with what’s blooming in Vancouver and see a list of of the festival’s favorites that are currently in bloom. It’s that easy! No maps involved!
Celebrate spring with the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (April 3-28 2014):
- Cherry Jam (April 3rd, 12-1.30pm, Burrard Skytrain Station): featuring Tetsu Taiko, VanCity Soran, Christopher Gaze,Yayoi Movement Theatre, and Folk artist Michael Averill
- Blossom Bollywood (April 12, Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza): celebrate spring through dance. No prior rehearsals are required!
- Sakura Night (March 30): an extraordinary dining experience hosted by Tojo’s Restaurant
- BC Blossom Watch Photo contest
- Tree Talks and Walks (various dates and locations in April)
- Sakura Days Japan Fair (April 5-6): come to the Glasshouse to learn how to write a winning haiku, enjoy a tree talk and walk (or a haiku walk) in the garden.
- Plein-Air Blossom painting (various dates and locations in April)
- Cherry Blossom picnic (April 13th, Larry Berg Flight Path Park, Richmond)
- Sakura Illumination (April 4)
- Bike the Blossoms (April 26)