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MEDIA RELEASE The 23rd annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival is slated for Saturday, Feb. 6. The annual community event showcases the blooming of Church Row Park’s historic cherry trees and the Japanese tradition of viewing them — hanami. This literally translates to hana, “flower” and mi, “look.” Fronting Mamalahoa Highway 19, the park’s collection […]

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MEDIA RELEASE Gov. Neil Abercrombie is scheduled to join the celebration of Waimea’s Japanese heritage by planting flowering cherry trees in honor of exceptional community contributors during the 21st Annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014. The community festival showcases the blooming of Waimea’s historic 60-year-old cherry trees, which are primarily […]

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MEDIA RELEASE The 21st Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival on Saturday, Feb. 1 is dedicated to Waimea residents Emiko Wakayama and Fumi Bonk. The women, who both have Japanese heritage, will be recognized at the festival’s opening ceremony. Time is 9 a.m. on the entertainment stage at the rear of Parker Ranch Center. “Emi” Wakayama, […]

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Japanese performing arts, demonstrations of bonsai, origami, traditional tea ceremony, fun mochi pounding, craft fairs (Feb. 2)

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MEDIA RELEASE Olelo Kanaka – Hawaii’s native language – was and continues to be the “working language” of paniolo on Hawaii ranches, but not all paniolo are native Hawaiian. In fact, paniolo come from every ethnic group and every possible combination thereof. Among those who have distinguished themselves are cowboys of Japanese ancestry, and surnames […]

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MEDIA RELEASE In conjunction with the 2012 U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial in Washington D.C., the Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival marks its annual celebration Saturday, Feb. 4 with the planting of cherry tree seedlings gifted from the Embassy of Japan. The living gift of friendship commemorates the first planting of Japanese flowering cherry trees in […]

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Photos from the 2011 Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival Saturday (Feb 5).

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MEDIA RELEASE Think pink at the annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival on Saturday, Feb. 5. The scenic event showcases the blooming of Church Row Park’s historic cherry trees and the Japanese tradition of viewing them—hanami. This year’s event pays tribute to master lei and kapa maker Marie McDonald and Milton Yamasaki, long-time and recently […]

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MEDIA RELEASE The 16th annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival has a full lineup of multi-cultural performing arts, hands-on demonstrations, craft fairs and food booths 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7 at venues sprawling through town – look for pink banners identifying site locations. The Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival celebrates the blooming of the […]

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MEDIA RELEASE As Hawaii celebrates 50 years of statehood, the 16th Annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival remembers retired politician and legal professional Nelson Doi on Saturday, Feb. 7.  The Waimea octogenarian – who co-wrote and delivered Hawaii’s state constitution to Washington – will be recognized at the start of the 9 a.m.-3 p.m. community […]

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