The Irmo Town Park was alive with arts and fellowship on March 22, which was proclaimed Cherry Blossom Day by Bill Danielson, Mayor of the Town of Irmo.
The 8th annual Irmo Cherry Blossom Festival honored these beautiful blossoms that embody the beauty, fragility and preciousness of life.
Events began in the morning at the Irmo Town Administration Building parking lot with a Japanese Import Car Drive-In. Kyle Tolli was awarded first place for his 2002 Honda Civic Type R, scoring 98.5 points out of a possible 100. Prizes were furnished by Camon Japanese Restaurant, The Town of Irmo and The Irmo Cherry Blossom Festival. The specially designed and created trophy was provided by Treasure Goblin Workshop. The trophy featured a blooming cherry blossom branch atop a “drift car.” Second place was won by Christopher Didyoung and his 1998 Nissan Skyline Nismo R34, and third place was taken by Matthew Duke and his 1999 Toyota TTE Edition. A special Judge’s Choice trophy was awarded to Owen Koddy who brought his 2001 Accura NSX. Car show organizer J. Brian “Buck” Pearson commented, “This is always a fun event; it is interesting to see these vehicles collected here for this drive-in each year.” The drive in concluded with a car processional past the Irmo Town Park under escort graciously provided by the Irmo Police Department, entertaining the festival attendees in the park and lining the sidewalk.
Later, there was a “cosplay” costume contest, featuring enthusiastic participants, many dressed as characters from Japanese cartoons, movies and video games. Treasure Goblin Workshop hosted this contest, and designed and fabricated the custom trophies. MomoCon in Atlanta provided four-day convention passes for the winners: Lewis Causey, First Place, was dressed in a cosplay inspired by the Ghostbuster movies; Myasha Roberts (Sleepy Head Siren)took Second Place in her outfit portraying her interpretation of the character Harley Quinn from the Batman series, and Third Place was secured by Andrew Davis portraying Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars movie series. Judge’s Choice went to cosplayer and author Alicia Schwalm (Alicia the Bard) with the character Sensei from the anime No Longer Allowed in Another World. Causey was thrilled with his First-place win, and commented in character, “The Irmo Cherry Blossom Festival was protected today from the Yurei, Onryó, Shiryó and other Japanese ghosts by the Palmetto State Ghostbusters” the local group of which Causey is a member.
Vendors included fine-art anime artist Magical Girl Rori, as well as other crafts-people supporting the theme of Japanese traditional an popular culture: artists selling 3D-printed Pokemon and popular kaiju creatures, an artisan who creates fabric orbs called kimekomi, another who makes traditional amigurumi crochet animals, and one who makes traditional purses often used while wearing kimono. Bonsai tree sculptures made of colorful wrapped wire were a popular item for sale. Anime and K-Pop/J-Pop art as well goods celebrating aspects of Japanese food culture, such as steamed buns, bobba tea, sushi and teriyaki-marinated meats were available, as were foods such as matcha (green tea) and bean paste candy called wagashi served by The Apothecary Tea Service. Jennifer Gerdes, self-proclaimed tea-mistress, shared her excitement: “It was wonderful to see so much interest in Japanese tea culture. From trying wagashi to watching their matcha whisked to order, festival attendees were eager to experience new tastes.”
Food trucks serving rolled sushi and other regional specialties did a brisk business. Attendees also cold sample baked goods, cotton candy and flavored shaved ice which is very popular in Japan. There was even a sweet pop-up “Maid Cafe” a staple of Japanese young adults, where patrons were entertained with lively songs, games and dances while being served cookies and sweet beverages by themed actors in cute ruffled dresses.
A children’s Craft Zone was hosted by Artistic Aspirations, an Irmo arts landmark. There, children of all ages could try their hands at painting their own traditional Japanese toy: a kokeshi doll. Also available at this no-cost craft station were coloring pages featuring kimono-clad ladies, folded-paper origami and pictures where 2-dimensional vases could be decorated and adorned with tissue paper pink and white flowers. At the shop’s retail booth, wares specifically created to celebrate the event were available, all handmade by the local artists represented by the gallery. Kim Winn, owner of Artistic Aspirations was enthusiastic about her venue’s participation: “The Artistic Aspirations craft zone was an absolute delight! We’re grateful to have been part of this incredible event. Witnessing the community come together to celebrate the Cherry Blossom festival, unleashing their creativity and artistic talents to craft beautiful kokeshi dolls and more, was truly unforgettable.”
A special performance of Japanese festival drumming was given by Taiko Charleston midday. These large traditional drums filled the park with rhythm and shouts, delighting young and old.
Informational booths also educated attendees on topics such as AAPI Awareness by the group Make us Visible SC, which brings awareness to the contributions and achievements of Asian, Australian and Pacific Islanders. Members of the Japan America Association of SC hosted an informational booth where many show-and-tell items were on display, including artwork and everyday items from Japan. Visitors to this booth could learn how to write their names in Japanese and engaged in language sessions during the day.
Festival attendance was estimated to be around 3000, with many repeat visitors from years past. Over 40 booths and vendors offered a wide variety of experiences. Visitors from all over South Carolina came to the park expressing interest in learning and experiencing Japanese culture, history, food and art. Many attendees modeled traditional Japanese attire such as kimono, hakama, yukata, and haori jackets. Long-time Irmo resident Kelly Powell reflected, “I have lived in Irmo for almost 43 years. As much as I love the Okra Strut, and all of the other fun events this amazing little town has to offer, the Cherry Blossom Festival has quickly become a new favorite. Not only does it celebrate the start of Spring with the gorgeous blooming trees, it has become a beautiful and unique way to bring Japanese culture to the area.”
All of this and more took place under a spreading canopy of pale pink Japanese cherry blossoms. Peak bloom had been reached just a few days earlier. There was a delicate layer of petals carpeting the area beneath the trees, giving the appearance of snow to the area. As the winds gently gusted throughout the day, visitors were treated to a delightful phenomenon known as “sakura snow” where petals swirl down from the tree limbs like falling snowflakes. Sakura is the word for cherry blossom in Japanese.
Organizer Kimberly Oakley expressed satisfaction at the end of the day, “I’m overjoyed that so many people were able to gather together to celebrate art, beauty, and friendship; to learn about and experience a bit of Japanese culture. Next year, I anticipate the festival will be even better, with the continued and vital support from the Town of Irmo, the SC Commission for Minority Affairs, and the Japan America Association of SC.”
Feature Photo credit – Lux Verum Productions
