Kamome Festival to take place in Crescent City
Both Crescent City and Rikuzentakata, Japan have something in common: devastating tsunamis.
A tsunami leveled Rikuzentakata and hurled a boat from Takata High School across the ocean in 2011. The boat Kamome floated for years before finding its way to Crescent City. But a somber story sparked a lasting bond between two high schools, two cities and two countries, giving good reason to celebrate.
The public is invited to attend the second annual Kamome Festival, a free multi-day day event beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday (April 11) with the arrival of Rikuzentakata delegates to Crescent City at the Del Norte County Regional Airport and continuing with events into that Saturday afternoon.
On April 13, the festival will start at 1 p.m. with a drum circle led by Mombo Hernandez followed by an opening ceremony at 2 p.m., including a prayer given by the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, one of Del Norte County's Indigenous tribes. Highlights of the rest of the afternoon, starting at 2:15 p.m., include a performance from the Humboldt Taiko drum group from Eureka, Hmong dancers and a film screening of the Kamome documentary. There is no charge to attend these events.
There will be interactive tsunami and earthquake preparedness education and Japanese cultural activities on April 12 for local school children at Crescent City's Cultural Center. This event is closed to the general public.
Also on April 12 starting at 7 p.m., Unit Souzou will perform “Constant State of Otherness” in Crescent City. The performance — featuring a fusion of music, dance and culture — takes place at the Betty Green Event Center at Elk Valley Casino. Tickets are $20 general/$18 for seniors/$15 for students and can be purchased in advance via https://www. eventbrite.com.
“This year's Kamome Festival will not only highlight the special relationship our community has formed with Rikuzentakata, Japan, but will also provide an opportunity to share our own community's diverse culture with the visiting delegation and our own residents. The event will also educate our community of the importance of emergency preparedness and provide our residents a platform to receive resources that will help keep them and their families safer in the event of a disaster. Our two cities share a bond through our histories with tsunamis, and this festival is a way to honor that bond. We are excited to offer this event to our community and share in the exchange of culture, knowledge, and friendship,” said Ashley Taylor, director of Economic Development and Recreation.
More information and a complete schedule of events can be found at https://bit. ly/KamomeFestival.*