Sunday, April 20, 2025

Cherry Blossom Festival

Collage of festival dancers and flags

I love cultural festivals!  The SF Cherry Blossom festival is lively, and the grand parade is colorful and accessible.

Two floats of superb taiko drummers
The Taiko drumming groups are fun, fabulous, and can be heard from great distances!  Their energy is impressive (and it's almost impossible not to move to their beats).
Collage of festival dancers in motion
A friend is going to be in our local Carnaval parade in May, so it was fun to point out the success of this collection of dancers - how they fill the street with color, energy, and music.

Collage of the Cherry Blossom Court (Pageant Winners)
The Cherry Blossom Court, resplendent in gorgeous kimonos as always... 
 
The Taro Mikoshi (a portable shrine with large sake casks and two men, topped by a phoenix), carried by a sea of volunteers
The Taro Mikoshi!  The volunteers carrying it were so amped up!  They are a small storm of energy as they carry the portable, sake-laden shrine down the street...

It was fun, as always!