Festivals
Oshogatsu New Year Celebration _____________________________________
Includes Japan’s customary rice-pounding and making of mochi rice cakes: viewing of the sado tea ceremony, kakizome, hands-on calligraphy: nengajo, New Year's card-making: omikuji, fortune-telling: and games like hanetsuki, similar to badminton, and fukuwarai, similar to pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. Celebrate 2012 and the year of the dragon on January 8, 2012.
For more information, visit www.morikami.org/newyear.
Hatsume Fair ____________________________________________________________
Celebrating the first bud of spring, The Morikami’s largest annual event, Hatsume, transforms the normally tranquil Morikami Park into a unique Japanese spring festival. Hatsume Fair features three stages with continuous entertainment including taiko drummers, a Japanese tea ceremony, flower arranging, martial art demonstrations, bonsai and orchid demonstrations, and much more. Also included are avenues of artisan booths, plant sales, Asian and American food vendors and children’s activities. SAVE THE DATE for next year's Hatsume Fair on Saturday, March 17 & Sunday, March 18, 2012. For more information, visit www.morikami.org/hatsume.
Bon Festival ____________________________________________________________
Inspired by Obon, Japan’s traditional three-day holiday honoring ancestors and thanking them for the quality of life enjoyed by the living, The Morikami celebrates Bon Festival in one fun-packed evening. Highlights include rousing taiko drum performances, traditional Japanese folk dancing with audience participation, ghost stories, and a street fair with games and shop stalls. The highlight of the evening begins at sunset when Morikami Pond is transformed into a tranquil sea of lighted lanterns which, in accordance with Japanese custom, guide the departure of ancestors’ souls who have come for a brief visit among the living. A special fireworks display caps the enchanting evening. Honor those who have passed with us at next year's Bon Festival Saturday, August 18, 2012. For more information, visit www.morikami.org/bon.
Sushi & Stroll Summer Walks ___________________________________________
Summer nights in South Florida are something special, especially when they are augmented with taiko drums and a cultural backdrop that can't be beat! Add a cold drink, a breathtaking sunset and a walking path through a tranquil garden, and you've got Sushi & Stroll Summer Walks!Enjoy Sushi & Stroll all summer long on May 11, June 8, July 13, August 24, and September 14, 2012.
