In these uncharted times, there are many things missing in our lives: big things like sporting events and vacations and seemingly little things like shopping in a mall and hugging loved ones.
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival (CBF) is one of the big things that cannot take place this year due to the COVID-19 restrictions. “It was a very sad decision to cancel the festival, but the health and safety of our community is our first priority,” said Stacey Shigaya, Program Director for Sakura Foundation. The Foundation has co-presented the CBF with Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple since 2016.
There are ways that the community can still experience the festival this year:
The products of many festival marketplace vendors can be ordered online. A list of website URLs can be found at CherryBlossomDenver.org under the Marketplace tab.
Videos of several festival entertainers are posted on the CBF website for viewers to enjoy the rich culture of the Japanese/Japanese American (JA) community.
Pacific Mercantile (pacificeastwest.com) is a long-standing and valued partner of the CBF. The Asian food and gift market at 1925 Lawrence Street has introduced a drive up service so customers can order by phone and pick up their order without leaving their cars.
Located at 20th and Lawrence, Jagged Mountain Brewery has offered a Sakura blend craft beer at the festival. To tide everyone over until 2021, visit them at jaggedmountainbrewery.com and order a few brews, t-shirts or pub glasses.
Next year, the 48th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival will once again celebrate Japanese/JA culture with an even greater appreciation for the community and its support.
To make a donation to the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple, please send checks payable to TSDBT to 1947 Lawrence St, Denver, CO 80202.
Donations to Sakura Foundation can be made at SakuraFoundation.org.