Welcome to Seattle Center
SEATTLE (March 25, 2022) – Seattle Center Festál continues with the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival Friday, April 8 - Sunday, April 10, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Following last year’s virtual festival, this year features a lineup of both in-person events and a virtual program. In-person events will take place in the Armory Food & Event Hall and Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. The free public festival includes sake tastings, a calligraphy exhibit and a tea ceremony with the theme Soul of Artisans. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is an honorary co-chair of the festival.
“Cherry blossoms remind us of renewal of spring and life,” said festival producer Tazue Sasaki. “We would like to invite not only our community but everyone to enjoy this renewal together through our festival offerings, after two years of isolation.”
While the theme of the festival focuses on artisans, social justice is also at the forefront of the Cherry Blossom Festival. For festival organizers, promotion of Japanese culture awareness is vital in uncertain times of racial disparity. A goal of the festival is to earn true understanding and empathy from the general public for Japanese culture, arts, and people by presenting the event’s programs.
First-time Cherry Blossom food court partners include Teinei Restaurant with bento and Modern, a Japanese café specializing in sushi and pastries, with inari. In addition, the festival welcomes back Phinney Ridge’s Tokara Japanese Confectionary known for its artistically sweet creations. Setsuko Pastry will also have packaged mochi and cookies available.
“The Cherry Blossom Festival is three days dedicated to celebrating the Japanese culture here in Seattle,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. “This is a special time to embrace the strong connections between our City and Japanese communities, coming together as One Seattle. I'm especially excited given my own proud Japanese heritage -- it is an honor to celebrate this community through such robust programming.”
The festival’s activities include sake tasting presented by Hyogo Business and Cultural Center, outdoor martial arts, a calligraphy exhibit, a tea ceremony, film screenings, history panels, performing arts including koto music, and a cherry blossom gift shop.
“Festál is a year-long chance for the Seattle area to come together and celebrate its diverse community,” said Seattle Center Director Robert Nellams. “Cherry Blossom Festival is one part of the Festál series that highlights the cultural components that make Seattle the unique city it is."
In tandem with the live festival, the Cherry Blossom Festival will offer virtual programming on their website as well.
About Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival History
The Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival was initiated on May 8, 1976, when Japan’s former Prime Minister, Takeo Miki, gifted 1,000 cherry trees to Seattle in commemoration of America’s bicentennial and the long friendship between the people of Japan and Washington state. Information on the festival is available at cherryblossomfest.org and www.seattlecenter.com, as well as on Facebook and YouTube.
About Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál cultivates a deeper understanding of the cultures and ethnic diversity that contribute to the rich vibrancy of the Pacific Northwest. This unique series links together 24 free festivals presented on weekends from February to November, each with its own cultural focus, identity, and range of engaging activities. 2022 commemorates the 25th Anniversary of Festál, ushering in a new era of hybrid programs during this anticipated return to in-person events. Seattle Center Festál is where the world will gather to celebrate the people, the places, the stories, the traditions, and the next 25 years of innovation. Seattle Center Festál is produced in partnership with 24 different community groups and supported by 4Culture, City of Seattle, and Seattle Center Foundation. Festál is also part of the ArtsFund Cultural Partners Network.
About Seattle Center
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the core of our region. More than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations which reside on the grounds, together with a broad range of public and community programs, create thousands of events on the 74-acre campus and attract more than 12 million visitors each year. At Seattle Center, part of Uptown Arts & Cultural District and home to Climate Pledge Arena, our purpose is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. Activities at the Center generate $1.864 billion in business activity and $631 million in labor income.
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Note:
Photos, b-roll, and pre-event/event-day interviews with festival producers, performers, and special guests are available upon request.
Contact:
Meghan McLaughlin, meghan.mclaughlin-c@seattle.gov
