CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL KICKS OFF APRIL 1 WITH THE BIG PICNIC AT DAVID LAM PARKVANCOUVER, BC (March 29, 2023) - The month-long Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (VCBF) gets
underway this Saturday, April 1st with The Big Picnic at David Lam Park, Vancouver’s largest outdoor
picnic The month-long schedule of events also features the Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen
Botanical Garden (April 15-16).
The Big Picnic takes place from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm under the blossoms of 100 Akebono cherry trees
donated by the Honorable Dr David Lam in 2010. The free family event will feature: a mindful yoga class
led by Carolyn Anne Budgell, a Kagami-biraki sake keg-breaking ceremony; a haiku installation
celebrating the 2022 Haiku Invitational winning poems by Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh
nation visual artists and with the winning haiku being read by City of Vancouver’s first local Indigenous
Poet Laureate, Christie Lee Charles, Musqueam Indian Band. The full event will also include local vendors
and partners who will share sustainable living practices and interactive arts activities. Bring your own
lunch, treat yourself to delicious meals from local food trucks, or savour a Blossom Bento from Private
Sushi Chefs (Pre-order yours for pick-up at the picnic).
Once again, The Big Picnic includes the popular Cherry Jam Concert, which will feature a superb line-upof local talent, including Zimbamoto, Serengeti, and Raincity, with a special performance from Vancouver
Okinawa Taiko. The YaletownBIA Cherry Grove stage will feature DJ ICE B with hip-hop/breakdancing by
Now or Never Crew.
The Big Picnic is inspired by the more than one thousand-year-old Japanese tradition of sitting underflowering cherry trees and writing poems inspired by the blossoms and celebrates thecommunity-building notion that “there are no strangers under the cherry tree”. Nowadays in Japan,friends and families gather under the cherry blossoms in the local parks eating homemade food orconvenience store bento boxes, singing songs and partaking in simple, fun activities such as photography
and haiku writing. The Big Picnic is presented by TD Bank in partnership with the Yaletown BIA.

On April 15 and 16, the Sakura Days Japan Fair will return to the VanDusen Botanical Garden for a
two-day celebration of all things Japan. From Japanese food, taiko drumming, Ikebana displays andtheatre performances, to sake sampling, woodworking demonstrations, tea ceremonies, hands-on
workshops (origami, calligraphy) and cultural performances, Sakura Days offers a wide range offamily-friendly activities set among the cherry blossoms in one of the world’s most beautiful municipal
gardens.
Most activities will take place out of doors, with selected vendors, tea ceremony, and experiencesindoors. This year’s Sakura Days Japan Fair will also feature double the amount of food trucks andvendors compared to 2022 after the record-breaking attendance numbers. Tickets on sale now.
Co-Produced with the Japan Fair Association of Vancouver.
Across the Lower Mainland, cherry trees are blossoming in every shade of pink and white, bringing joy toresidents and visitors of all ages and announcing in spectacular fashion that spring has finally arrived. Tofind all those beautiful trees, visit the VBCF Blossom Maps page on any device and zoom in and see,street by street, what type of cherry tree grows where, photos of them and the dates when they’re inpeak bloom. Supported by Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation.

VCBF invites everyone inspired by the cherry blossoms and the Festival’s pink and teal banners lining Oak
Street to submit a haiku to its internationally acclaimed Haiku Invitational poetry contest. Each year, theFestival receives thousands of entries from 40+ countries around the world from budding poetscompeting in six categories: Best Vancouver, Best BC, Best Canada, Best United States, Best Internationaland Best Youth haiku, with additional haiku recognized in the Sakura Award and Honourable Mentions
categories.
About the 2023 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (April 1–23):
Presented by Edge Construction, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is a charitable not‐for‐profit
organization with the objective to educate and actively engage diverse communities through accessible
local arts and culture to celebrate the fragile beauty of the cherry blossom. Events throughout the city
bring people together to celebrate nature, creativity, and Vancouver’s cherry tree heritage. Cherry
blossom viewing has become a joyful Festival springtime tradition in our city now as people marvel as 54
different varieties blossom across our city. For more information about the festival and upcoming
programs and events, visit www.vcbf.ca- 30 Contacts:
Michael Dove
Executive Director
604-679-1823
michael@vcbf.ca

Linda Poole
Artistic Creative Director, Founder
604-767-9044
linda.poole@telus.net

Website: vcbf.ca
Twitter: @OfficialVCBF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VancouverCherryBlossomFestival

2022 VANCOUVER CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL EVENTS
April 1-23, 2022

MARCH 1-JUNE 1

HAIKU INVITATIONAL
Our online international poetry contest invites established and budding poets to submit
up to two unpublished haiku, which are judged in six categories: Best Vancouver, BestBC, Best Canada, Best United States, Best International and Best Youth haiku. Attracts
thousands of entries from 40+ countries around the world each year. To submit a haiku,
visit the Festival haiku submission page.

APRIL 110 am – 4:30 pm

THE BIG PICNIC featuring the Cherry Jam Concert
David Lam Park in Yaletown
Enjoy Vancouver’s largest outdoor picnic under the blossoms of 100 Akebono cherrytrees in Yaletown’s spectacular David Lam Park. The full day of free family activities
includes: a tree dedication ceremony; a Haiku Installation by Squamish, Musqueam, andTsleil-Waututh nation artists; interactive arts activities; and Cherry Jam Concert. Bring
your own lunch, treat yourself to delicious meals from one of our food trucks, or enjoy aBlossom Bento from one of our Sushi Chefs (Reservations required for Blossom Bento.)

APRIL 2-23

TREE TALKS AND WALKS
Guided walks to discover historical, horticultural and cultural features of the cherry tree
and other extraordinary trees. Free, but registration required via our website.

April 2
April 7
April 8
April 9April 10April 22
April 23

3 pm - 4:30 pm
10 am – Noon
1:30 pm - 3 pm
1:30 pm- 3:30 pm
1 pm – 2:30 pm
8 pm – 9:30 pm
1:30 pm - 3 pm

At UBC w/ Douglas Justice1302 Arbutus St at Creelman Ave. w/ Jacqueline Lee (Mandarin only)
At Stanley Park w/ author Nina Shoroplova
At Burrard SkyTrain Station w/ Wendy Cutler
At Queen Elizabeth Park w/ Alex Downie
At Mountainview Cemetery w/ Egan Davis
At Callister Park w/ Egan DavisAPRIL 15 & 16
10am-6pm (Sat.)
10am-5pm (Sun.)

SAKURA DAYS JAPAN FAIRVanDusen Botanical Garden
Sakura Days Japan Fair is a two-day celebrates all things Japan. From Japanese food,taiko drumming, Ikebana displays and theatre performances, to sake sampling,
woodworking demonstrations, tea ceremonies, hands-on workshops (origami,calligraphy) and cultural performances, Sakura Days offers a wide range offamily-friendly activities set among the cherry blossoms in one of the world’s mostbeautiful municipal gardens. Tickets on sale now.

APRIL 2211 am -2 pm

BIKE THE BLOSSOMS
Starts at Trout Lake Park. A leisurely ride in partnership with Velopalooza, through tunnelsof the stunning hot pink Kanzan cherry blossom cultivar on the East Side. The ride willconclude with a gathering under a grove of cherry trees where Scavenger Coffee willserve coffee and tea for participants.