Cupertino festival blossoms after a two-year hiatus
After a two-year hiatus, the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival returned April 30-May 1 to Memorial Park, Quinlan Center and the Cupertino Senior Center, and organizers estimate that attendance more than doubled from the last in-person festival in 2019.
A few food court booths had run through their entire weekend's supply by early afternoon on April 30 and had to go shopping for supplies. Recology bins that typically last the weekend were overflowing before the end of the first day of the festival.
Cupertino-toyokawa Sister Cities Inc. (CTSC) holds the annual festival to honor Cupertino's sister city of Toyokawa, Japan by sharing Japanese culture with the community.
The festival marked the return of many favorite performers, exhibits, nonprofit food booths, and arts and crafts vendors. In 2021, the festival was held virtually, with only a fraction of performers able to be featured.
CTSC tries to add something new every year, and the 2022 festival had three significant additions, including the introduction of Toyokawa's mascots. The main mascot is a half fox, half Inari sushi character named Inarin. There were temporary tattoos in his likeness and a lawn cutout for photo opportunities.
The second addition was a well-attended pop-up exhibit created in partnership with the Cupertino Historical Society. The exhibit featured several displays about Toyokawa and its 44-year sister city relationship with Cupertino, along with a photo booth and a chance to vote for “who wore it best” among four kimono-clad mannequins, dressed by the San Jose Kimono Club.
Thirdly, a VTA bench painted by CTSC was unveiled at the corner of Stevens Creek Boulevard and Mary Avenue. It was created as both tribute to Toyokawa and in memory of the nine VTA workers who lost their lives in May 2021, represented by nine fallen blossoms.
The 2023 festival is set for April 29-30. For more information, visit www.cupertinocbf.org
Alysa Sakkas is the head of Cupertino-toyokawa Sister Cities, Inc.