The 51st Annual Cherry Blossom Festival (June 21-22, 2025)

On June 21st and 22nd, the 51st Annual Cherry Blossom Festival, co-sponsored by the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple and the Sakura Foundation, was held at Sakura Square in downtown Denver.

Randy Matsushima, Board President of the Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temple, gave opening remarks, followed by Consul-General Okajima of the Consulate-General of Japan in Denver who greeted the event's many visitors. Stacey Shigaya, Executive Director of the Sakura Foundation, concluded the opening ceremony with an overview of the festival.

This year marked the 65th anniversary of Denver’s sister city relationship with Takayama City in Gifu Prefecture, and Takayama City Mayor Akira Tanaka and others involved in the sister city exchange were among the festival’s visitors. Mayor Tanaka, to the enthusiastic response of audience members, said, “Takayama is as wonderful a city as Denver. People from Denver are more than welcome in our city, so please come!”

The Denver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese traditions and culture through various cultural demonstrations on stage, food and drink, vendor stalls, and various displays. Despite the extremely hot weather this year, the festival was crowded with many visitors. The Consulate-General also participated at the festival, setting up a Japan booth jointly with the JET Alumni Association of the Rocky Mountains (JETAARM) to introduce Japanese tourism, culture, and other opportunities in Japan.

Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers and others involved, this year’s festival was once again a wonderful addition to the start of Denver’s summer season.