Sakura Matsuri (trans: Cherry Blossom Festival)

During the hour drive north to Nago on Saturday, we were hoping for two things: that Logan would nap on the way up (no) and that there would be good weather for the festival (yes).  Logan was great despite missing his nap and the day worked out perfectly!

By the way, how are you enjoying the cold spell that seems to be running up the East Coast again?

 

The festival is held in a very large park and the centerpiece is a set of stairs leading up the cherry tree-covered hillside (and up, and up, and up!) to a small shrine.  Note the Shinto stone lanterns on either side of the path and paper lanterns strung in the trees!

 

Logan refused to hold still and this was the best we could manage :)

 

View from near the top, looking down.  What you can’t see is the ice cream vendor to the left of the Torii gate.  She seemed to be doing brisk business and of course we had to have some ourselves.

 

Just beautiful . . .

 

Looking down onto the “festival” part of the experience, vendor tents lining the street all the way back, big bouncy things, lots of food and lots of people!

 

Festival food!  The faint of heart can get things like corn dogs and cotton candy.  We prefer to point to random interesting-looking things and eat whatever we get.  This time one of the items we ended up with was octopus dumplings; they really weren’t bad!

 

We found some time when one of the bouncers wasn’t overrun with big kids and let Logan go for a while.

 

The street vendors are very colorful.

 

Of course we had to find the playground.  Logan was a fan of the zip-line.  Yep, that’s another roller slide in the background; you’ve got to try one if/when you come visit!

 

So happy . . . 

 

A parting shot for you.  Hope all is well; take care!