Cherry Blossom Festival

2015 Cherry Blossom Festival

The Birmingham Public Library is partnering with the Japan American Society of Alabama to offer programs for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

If a trip to our nation’s capital for the March Cherry Blossom Festival is not on your calendar, make plans to join the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) for an early start on the celebration. Once again partnering with the Japan American Society of Alabama (JASA) and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, BPL is planning several programs—including a Haiku contest, a special edition of the signature Bards & Brews event, a film screening, and a main event at the Gardens—in support of the annual observance. All programs are free and open to the public.

A very popular feature of the programming is an online haiku contest for teens and adults residing in Alabama which begins on February 22 and runs through March 14. With separate competitions for teens and adults, winners will be picked at the end of each week and will be eligible for cash prizes. Poems may be on any topic and may be submitted on Twitter with #bplhaiku or by emailing bplhaiku@gmail.com. Entries will be judged by the Southeast Chapter of the Haiku Society of America. The weekly winners will be ranked first, second and their and prizes awarded at the main event of the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on Saturday, March 21. In case you are wondering, the cherry blossom is a flower which blooms on trees of the Prunus genus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, which is called sakura.

Additional Cherry Festival program partners for this year include The Alabama State Council on the Arts; The Haiku Society of America; and Hop City Beer and Wine.

Programs

February 22 to March 14 Haiku Contest Open to teens and adults residing in Alabama. For more information and to register: visit http://www.bplonline.org/programs/haiku/ Either tweet #bplhaiku or email bplhaiku@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 24, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Teen Haiku Workshop Central Library, Story Castle, 2nd floor. Librarian Lance Simpson will lead this workshop for teens. Interested participants are welcome to sign up at lmsimpson@bham.lib.al.us.

Friday, March 6, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Bards, Brews, & Haiku Central Library, First Floor. Special edition of B&B featuring haiku and sake tasting, as well as the usual performance poetry and beer. Special guest, Terri French, Southeast Coordinator for the Haiku Society of America.

Sunday, March 15, 3:00 p.m. Screening of a "ramen Western" Central Library, Arrington Auditorium. A comedy about the quixotic quest for the perfect ramen recipe. Matt Levey, Professor of Asian History at Birmingham-Southern College, will serve as facilitator.

Saturday, March 21, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Japanese Garden. This will be the main event of the Cherry Blossom Festival and will feature a variety of activities. Winners of the Haiku Contest will be announced midday at the Pavilion stage.