Irmo, SC 02/26/2025 - The 8th annual Irmo Cherry Blossom Festival honoring the beautiful flowering Japanese Yoshino cherry trees that remind viewers of their beauty, transience, and preciousness of life, will take place on Saturday, March 22, 2025, in the Irmo Town Park. This is located at 7330 Carlisle Street in Irmo, SC.
The family-friendly festival features picnicking, blossom-viewing, food vendors, handcrafted artwork, informational displays and more.
Artists and craftspeople will sell their cherry blossom-inspired wares, as well as both traditional and pop-culture Japanese themed art. This will include one-of-a-kind wire bonsai trees, kimekomi fabric balls, kinchaku bags, and amigurumi crochet creations.
There will be opportunities for learn more about and taste Japanese teas and treats such as wagashi, a traditional sweet made of white bean paste. Mahou Massage, Carolina's first “kawaii” massage therapist, will sponsor a Relaxation Station, offering chair massages and wellness in a cute way! The Doteki Club will also be there to promote its anime-appreciation club.
Representatives from the Irmo Branch Library will be on hand to showcase items from their manga selection and to talk about programs for those who enjoy manga and anime fandoms.
Yuko Kimura will sing a selection of jazz standards and Japanese folk songs at 11:00 a.m. The winner of this year's ICBF Haiku Contest will also be recognized. This annual contest attracted over 65 haiku submitted from locations all around the world. At 1:00 p.m., a rousing festival drumming performance will be provided by Taiko Charleston.
This year will also feature a whimsical “maid cafe” experience, green tea service and demonstrations, an informal “kimono stroll”, and a cosplay contest hosted by Treasure Goblin Workshop, who is also providing custom designed trophies for the costume winners. Registration for that contest begins at 2:00 p.m. The Japanese Import Car Drive-In will be held from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Camon Japanese Restaurant has also provided generous gift certificates for the top three car show winners. The car drive-in will culminate with the winners being awarded at noon followed by a recessional parade. This year's car show is hosted by Buck's Speed Shop whose founder is Brian Pearson.
The Japan America Association of South Carolina will host a booth and offer stories in both Japanese and English, as well as other educational opportunities. Make Us Visible SC, an awareness group focusing on the contributions of Asian Americans, will host an educational coloring station for kids, and Artistic Aspirations of Irmo will host a children's craft table. Participating children can paint their own traditional kokeshi dolls and enjoy other cherry blossom-inspired crafts.
The Mid-Carolina Camellia Society will be hosting an informational booth about these beautiful flowers which originated in Japan. Ikebana International Chapter 183 will also host a hands-on station where visitors will learn about this ancient and gracious flower-arranging tradition.
March 22, 2025, has been designated as Cherry Blossom Day in the Town of Irmo by proclamation of Mayer Bill Danielson. Planted in 2001, the six Yoshino trees gracing the small Irmo Town Park put forth an amazing bloom at their peak. The jewel-box park comes alive with the billowing pale pink blooms in late March. This year's Patron Sponsor is The Town of Irmo. Additional support is provided by the SC Commission for Minority Affairs. 2025 is the Year of the Snake, according to the Lunar Calendar.
For more details, follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram.
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