The Art and Culture of Matsuri

It was another wonderful weekend for a festival! On Saturday afternoon I made a last-minute decision to attend a local Japanese festival at the Heritage and Science Park. It ran all weekend from February 25-26 starting at 10am and not ending until 5pm.

Beautiful umbrellas on display and for sale.

While driving around looking for parking I could hear the music even from a far distance and was immediately submerged into the culture. All around there were booths and vendors of all kinds selling art, trinkets, food, and more to the hundreds of people who had come out for the event.

A vendor selling Japanese tea cookies known as Senbei.

There were also many performances scattered around the area with small crowds all lined up to watch. Almost everyone in attendance was in an outfit whether it be traditional Japanese cultural attire or even a cosplay of the character from their favorite anime series. Anime is a big part of Japan and it is popular in the United States as well.

A cosplay of Hatsune Miku from the anime series Vocaloid.

One of my favorite parts of the entire event was the cosplay contest where all the contestants stood on stage to show of their outfits they had worked so hard on. The judging of the contest depended on the applause from the crowd so it was fun to get to take part and root for all the people up there showing their passion.

Contestants of the cosplay contest.

All around the venue there were arts and crafts, amazing decor, and games at every corner to interact with. People of all ages could dome out for fun and a little taste of the beautiful Japanese culture!