I attended the 52nd Annual Denver Cherry Blossom Festival yesterday afternoon. This event takes place at Sakura Square, which is described on their website as "downtown Denver's living legacy to the region's Japanese and Japanese American community." In addition to restaurants and shops selling Japanese food and goods, Sakura Square is also the home of the Tristate/Denver Buddhist Temple. The complex contains an apartment building as well. The festival's Japanese-themed marketplace on Lawrence Street featured all manner of artwork, apparel, jewelry, you name it, as well as booths featuring Japanese food and drink, including sake. I do have to say, however, that the only cherry blossoms I saw were the ones on either side of the Sakura Square sign at the entrance to the complex and at the booth in the photograph on the left, and I am not sure if they were real or not. But I guess if you are located in the middle of downtown Denver, it would be hard to replicate Washington D.C.'s cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin. Of course, you could always try. Maybe next year.
There was also live entertainment taking place on a stage throughout the weekend. There were Japanese musical performances on both Saturday and Sunday, although when I was there karate demonstrations were taking place, which is not my favorite thing, although I do have to say there was a very large audience watching. What I don't understand are the two guys in the photograph on the right who were walking past the booths on Lawrence Street. I believe they were wearing wolf masks, which I am sure felt quite toasty in the 90-degree heat. Is this part of Japanese culture? I know the Japanese have traditions involving dragon dancing, but wolf dancing I have never heard of. Perhaps they were just random crazies, which, of course, there is no shortage of here in Denver. If I attend the festival next year, I'll ask.
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