People found air-conditioned relief (and groceries) at Pacific Mercantile, bought cold bottles of ramune from a kiddie pool filled with the popular carbonated drinks, and stood in line for snow cones that came in a dozen flavors. The festival closed a portion of Lawrence Street for a lineup of vendors and entertainment, including Enka singers, taiko drumming, dances, martial arts and more.
Droves of people browsed artisan booths selling everything from dog bandanas and purses to crystals and incense, and takoyaki, gyoza, Spam musubi, teriyaki chicken and more were served up in the gym of the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple.
Behind the scenes, volunteers grilled 3,100 pounds of chicken and made rice in 77 rice cookers to satisfy the crowd's appetite for the food at the temple.
The Cherry Blossom Festival, also known as Sakura Matsuri, brings in an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people, according to organizers. The festival is held at Sakura Square, a commercial development and a cultural hub for Denver's Japanese-American community that began moving into this part of downtown after World War II, opening small businesses in the area.
The festival officially began in 1974 as a simple food bazaar to raise money for the temple before blossoming into today's large-scale event organized by the temple and the Sakura Foundation. It was originally held in May, right after the trees bloomed along Cherry Creek, but was moved to June when it was combined for a period of time with Obon, a festival celebrating ancestors that typically takes place in July or August. The joint event no longer exists, but the June date stuck.
The 51st Cherry Blossom Festival will be back for another day on Sunday, June 22. Entertainment starts at 11 a.m. and goes until around 4 p.m.
In the meantime, check out these photos from Saturday, June 21, the first day of the event:
Enka singer Yumino Kimura performs "Jinsei Yume Daiko," a song about a drum festival, at the 51st Cherry Blossom Festival.
Kristen Fiore
Meals and snacks were served inside the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple's gym during the Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival is the temple's main fundraiser for the year.
Kristen Fiore
