Written by Christie Crawford
Clarksville, TN – The soft colors of pink and white. Colors you associate with spring petals on some of your favorite flowers, and those you must definitely identify with cherry blossoms. Sakura, as cherry blossoms are known in Japanese, symbolize the mark of spring but also beauty, rebirth and the transience of life. Cherry blossoms in the US became popular when a gift from Japan to Washington, D.C. happened in 1912; a goodwill gesture from one international city to another.
In our nation’s capital, the area’s famous landmarks, such as the Tidal Basin and the National Monument, are awash with these blooms, allowing for thousands of visitors and painters alike to absorb the beauty of these magnificent flowers. Japan has its own term, hanami, meaning cherry blossom viewing party. Although Japan and Washington receive top billing for viewing the blossoms, they aren’t the only places where you can see these spring marvels.
While living on the Big Island in Hawaii for 17 years, I was able to participate in and celebrate the cherry blossoms in the town of Waimea, or Kamuela in Hawaiian language. Celebrating its 33rd year, the town offers Japanese cultural traditions, including taiko drumming, tea ceremonies, sake and Japanese food tasting, and the intense mochi pounding, all centered at Church Row Park, where 75-plus trees planted by the Waimea Lions Club reside. At the festival, I was fortunate to demonstrate Hawaiian quilting and was the lucky dignitary who got to pound mochi.
A little closer to home, a day’s trip away, you can view the cherry blossoms this spring and check off a bucket list item or two.
St. Louis, MO – Missouri Botanical Gardens. This garden features over 100 trees for your strolling pleasure.
Macon, GA – A citywide event, Macon heralds in the International Cherry Blossom Festival to celebrate the close to 350,000 trees within its limits. A specially marked 17 mile trail is available to catch all the sights.
Winston-Salem, NC – Reynolda Estate Built in 1917, this grand mansion features weeping cherry blossoms in its expansive gardens. In 2020, 44 new trees were added to make this locale the largest cherry blossom observation in the Carolinas.
And in our own backyard, the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival – a recent event marking the move of the Japanese General Consulate from New Orleans to Nashville. To symbolize the event, the consulate gifted 1,000 trees to the city of Nashville, which were planted from 2009 to 2018.
The event is held in Public Square Park, and this year’s date will be Saturday, April 11th from 9:30am–5:00pm. A walk begins at 9:30am, and musical and martial arts performances will be held throughout the day.
Vendors and artists are set up and cultural lectures hosted by the Japanese Consulate will be given, including information on Bonsai cultivation, a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and rakugo, which is traditional comedic storytelling. Information on the event can be found at www.nashvillecherryblossomfestival.org
