Sakura Under the Stars is a Night of Japanese Food, Cocktails and Fun

Sakura Under the Stars, an event first presented last year by The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP), returns to Philadelphia for the 2015 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival to celebrate the sakura season in style. On Saturday, April 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sakura Under the Stars will be an evening of enchantment and held at the Union Trust at 717 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. The evening will feature sushi dishes, Asian Fusion style hors  d’oeuvrers, live Japanese musical entertainment, an open bar with specialty cocktails, and elaborate cherry blossom arrangements under a star-covered ceiling. Sakura Under the Stars costs $100 for JASGP members and $120 for non-members to attend.

Every year the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival is filled with events that represent the rich and interesting elements of Japanese culture. “Last year, the addition of Sakura Under the Stars and Hanami (picnicking under the blossoms) brought to the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival the Japanese tradition of celebrating the beginning of the sakura season. It was a huge success,” said Kazumi Teune, Executive Director of the JASGP. “I couldn’t be more excited to hold the event at Union Trust this year and create our own magical, star-filled room bursting with cherry blossoms.”

Sakura Under the Stars is the day before Sakura Sunday, the centerpiece of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival. Sakura Sunday is on Sunday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Horticulture Center in West Fairmount Park and offers a full day of traditional Japanese food, world-class music and dance performances, martial arts, karaoke and activities for all ages.  A complete listing of events is available online at Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival and event information is available by calling 267-348-0250.

The central inspiration of the Cherry Blossom Festival is the fragile beauty of the sakura, the Japanese name for the ornamental cherry blossoms which inspire all of this cultural activity. The Cherry Blossom trees in Fairmont Park were first planted in 1926 and they were a gift to the City of Philadelphia by the people of Japan.  Cherry Blossoms are gorgeous, delicate flowers and are an annual inspiration to photographers and a “must see” natural wonder calling everyone outdoors. The events of the Festival celebrate Philadelphia’s rich cultural connections with the art, music, food, natural beauty and industry of Japan.

For more information on Sakura Under the Stars, please visit SubaruCherryBlossom.org or call 267-348-0250.