Thirty is a nice round number. If one is celebrating a thirtieth anniversary, traditionally one receives pearls. In modern times, one receives diamonds. For the 30th Annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival, every visitor who walked through the
Brooklyn Botanic Garden received many gems: Good weather, tremendous performances, entertaining activities, and – most important – gorgeous cherry blossoms.
I had a lovely time at Sakura Matsuri on Saturday. You can read my story for The Epoch Times
here. You can see other photos and read a few of my favorite quotes from the day below.
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| Timing is everything - The blossoms were in full bloom along the Cherry Esplanade |
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| This is the only time I don't hate the color pink! |
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| Scot Medbury, President & CEO of Brooklyn Botanic Garden |
"Our hearts really do go out to our friends and colleagues in northern Japan as we joyfully celebrate the rich culture and traditions that brought us all here together today."
- BBG president and CEO Scot Medbury
Opening ceremony of the 30th Annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival
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| Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki |
"I think cherry trees now stand as a testament to the close connections between two of the world's greatest cities: Brooklyn and Tokyo."
- Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki, Consul General of Japan in New York
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| Ambassador Hiroki |
" . . . it is fitting that under this canopy of cherry blossoms, we gather united in support of the victims of the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11."
- Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki
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| Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz |
"No nation is exempt from national tragedies, but we all know . . . that there is only one race on this planet, and that is the human race."
- Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President
The gregarious Marty Markowitz had the two most thoughtful quotes I heard on Saturday. He mispronounced the name of the festival – saying "Sakury Matsuri" instead of "Sakura Matsuri" – but I could tell he has a big heart. His constituents must love him. (I'm not being sarcastic.)
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| (l-r) BBG President Scot Medbury, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki, BBG Director Emeritus Elizabeth Scholtz |
"We open our hearts and our hands to the survivors who struggle to rebuild their lives and who, along with the mighty nation of Japan, like the magnificent cherry blossom, will be reborn stronger and brighter than ever."
- Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President
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| Brightly colored parasol |
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| Cherry blossom kimono |
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| A diva is born |
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| My bento! |
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| Standing room only outside the main stage |
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| Cosplayers pose for pictures |
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| Yoshi Amao, Master of Ceremonies |
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| Soh Daiko |
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| Kayo Yoshioka, lead singer of Neo Blues Maki |
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| Network Time Filler - Saying tongue twisters in between sets |
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| Samurai Sword Soul |
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| Members of happyfunsmile before their performance |
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| 30th Annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden |
5 comments:
Great photos Suze!!
d.f.
The pictures taken are wonderful. So refreshing to see all of this color after a cold, harsh winter.
I'm so sad that I wasn't able to attend the matsuri this year :( I did last year and it was a ton of fun! Will you also be coming to the cherry blossom festival on Long Island this Saturday? http://www.ryushukan.com/matsuri
I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it to the festival this year :( Thanks for sharing these beautiful pics!
Glad everyone likes the photos!
D.F. - I aspire to be as talented with the camera as you.
Venus - It's wonderful not to have snow all over the place!
Allie - I'm not sure yet what my plans are for this weekend, but I'm considering the Cherry Blossom Festival on Long Island.
Catsparella - First of all, I love your blog! I have a lot more pictures to post, so keep an eye out for them. I didn't see any cats at Sakura Matsuri, though. :)
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