Cherry Blossom Festival in Hawaii

A Komo Mai 'Best Hawaii Vacation blog' visitors,
As all of you know monthly events are plentiful in Hawaii. Hawaii visitors to the Kohala Coast on the Big Island have to choose from a lot of events in the Kohala Coast event calendar for February. Admitted, February events are not the big national events like the Big Island Triathlon in Kona or the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo. However, there are lots of local area events in Hawaii, which came to life through their residents and their different cultural background and traditions.

One of those traditions is the Cherry blossom festival in Hawaii. Honolulu's Cherry Blossom Festival has a long tradition and offers lots of events for Hawaii visitors and residents alike all the way through February and March as long as the cherry blossoms are blooming.

And yes they are blooming not just in Honolulu but also in upcountry Waimea on the Big Island. Each year an abundance of cherry tree blossoms are blooming in Church Row attracting with their beauitiful pink colors and wonderful scent. The Japanese residents of Waimea and Big Islanders from all over will come to Waimea to celebrate the blossoming of the cherry trees on Church Row Park, just east of KTA shopping center on Saturday, the 5th of Februray.

The tradition of flower viewing of cherry trees has it roots in Japanese culture, but has become a tradition across the U.S. to celebrate the unofficial arrival of spring. There is even a National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the gift of cherry trees from Japan in 1912.

Those planning to attend the Waimea Cherry Blossom Festival will be able to view a Japanese bon dance, taiko drumming and Cherry blossom art. Waimea also has two very extensive Farmers markets providing fruits, veggies and prepared foods for those with a hearty appetite. This year's event pays tribute to master lei and kapa maker Marie McDonald, and Milton Yamasaki.

During the 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. festival, a host of activities will take place from the Parker Ranch Historic Homes on Mamalahoa Hwy. 190 to the Hawaiian Homestead Farmer's Market on Hwy. 19. Enjoy Japanese and multi-cultural performing arts, plus demonstrations of bonsai, origami, tea ceremony and mochi pounding and a wonderful craft fair.

Hope you can make it to the Cherry Blossom in Honolulu or Waimea. If you do, let us know what you liked best at this year's Cherry Blossom Festival in Hawaii. Photos of the cherry blossom trees in Hawaii are most welcome too. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations