The Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival will be held on April 18th & 19th at Barnes Park, 350 S. McPherrin Ave., Monterey Park and will feature a wide array of Japanese cultural arts and entertainment, food, crafts, and games. Among the highlights of the festival are the various renowned Taiko drum groups, sumo wrestling demonstration, traditional dance performances, and special musical guests. Admission to the two day Festival is free.

The festival, which had over 8,000 attendees in 2008, bouncy castle for sale coincides with the Nation’s annual Festival held in Washington, DC every spring to celebrate the 1912 gift to the city of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo. This gift was to enhance the growing friendship between the United States and Japan and celebrate the continued close relationship between these two countries. The Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival is local community oriented celebration, which has a long history of being held in the City of Monterey Park, since the early 1970’s. Discontinued shortly after, the Cherry Blossom Festival was resurrected by a group of community volunteers whose efforts were realized through the successful re-establishment of the Cherry Blossom Festival in April 1998.

The family friendly event includes Children’s Activity and Game areas, as well as highlights performance groups from local schools. A complete list of performers and special guests for the 2009 event will be announced in March.

For information on sponsorship opportunities, becoming a craft vendor or exhibitor, please email raguirre@montereypark.ca.gov. Additional information regarding this year’s festival will be available on the festival website.

Please visit http://www.ci.monterey-park.ca.us/index.aspx?page=812