Join us for the annual Japanese star festival! Tanabata 七夕 at the garden is a family-friendly event that we celebrate with magnificent colors, craft making, and a tradition of writing wishes. This year, we are going to celebrate for 3 days.
The origin of Tanabata comes from the legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi, star crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way. Each year on the evening of July 7th, Orihime and Hikoboshi are allowed to reunite for one night only. In Japan, Tanabata is celebrated by decorating bamboo branches with origami ornaments and tanzaku, poems or wishes written on small strips of paper.
Or garden visitors will have the opportunity to write wishes and tie them to bamboo sticks in the garden.
A new photography exhibit by the talented young artists who participated in our youth photography workshop will be on display in the Tateuchi Community Room.
Admission to the garden will be FREE all day for everyone on Thursday 7/7 for Free First Thursday, and for youth 12 and under from 10am-2pm on Saturday 7/9. Final entry to the garden is 45 minutes before closing.
EVENT SCHEDULE:
(All event schedule and activities are subject to change)
Family hanging their wishes on bamboo (Photo: Aurora Santiago)
THURSDAY 7/7
3:00pm - 6:30 pm Tanzaku Wishing Station
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Opening Reception for Youth Photography Exhibit
FRIDAY 7/8
3:00 pm - 6:30 pm Tanzaku Wishing Station
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Origami Flowers
Photo by Dekoboko Taiko
SATURDAY 7/9
11:00 am - 3:00 pm Tanzaku Wishing Station
11:15 am - 12:15 pm Taiko performance by Dekoboko Taiko
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Origami by P.A.P.E.R.
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Tea Ceremony by Urasenke Tankokai (Tickets required)
(All event schedule and activities are subject to change)
Traditional Tea Ceremony presentations will be held at the Shoseian Tea House at 1, 2, and and 3p.m. A limited number of tickets are available at $10 for adults and $7 for youth. Tea ceremony tickets can be reserved by calling the ticket booth at (206) 684-4725.
Admission to the garden will be FREE all day for everyone on Thursday 7/7 for Free First Thursday, and for youth 12 and under from 10am-2pm on Saturday 7/9. Final entry to the garden is 45 minutes before closing.