Saturday, June 2, 2012 – “Co-Op-A-Fair: Celebrating Cooperatives, Community and You” from 2:15 – 3:00pm in Diamond View Park, Durham – Free admission
Saturday, July 7, 2012 – Nippon Club Summer Festival at NC Japan Center at 5 pm in Raleigh
Sunday, September 23, 2012 – The Sunday in the Park Concert Series, Pullen Park with Special Taiko at 6pm – Free admission
“Hanami” is the Japanese traditional custom of appreciating the beauty of flowers. The custom is said to have started in Japan during the Nara Period (710–794) when the ume (plum) blossoms were admired, but as time went on, sakura (cherry blossoms) became the favored flower to watch. Today in Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura with friends, family, or coworkers. April is one of the best month’s to be able to enjoy this beautiful event. If you can’t make it to Japan, you can still enjoy the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. The National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC.
