Stunning, pink swirls of cherry blossoms are blooming once again at the Japanese Friendship Garden and to celebrate, the Balboa Park attraction is bringing back its Cherry Blossom Festival.
Festivities include live performances, food vendors and merchants for the celebration from March 11-13. Visitors can stroll through the serene garden and take in the seasonal sights since the cherry blossoms only bloom during spring. After exploring the grounds, attendants can nosh on Japanese cuisine that includes a variety of origini, takoyaki, curry and more.
The Scene
The festival will offer fun for both children and adults. Youngsters can be entertained with crafts, interactive games and face painting while visitors over the age of 21 can taste their way through the beer and sake garden for an additional fee of $20.
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A tea garden will also be available for visitors of all ages for an additional fee of $15. An assortment of tea and desserts will be spread for those who would like to indulge in sweets.
Saturday will be extra jam-packed with a cosplay contest – the first in the festival’s history, according to the garden.
General admission tickets to the garden will grant access to all the festivities. Prices are as followed:
- General -- $12
- Military -- $10
- Senior (65+) -- $10
- Student -- $10
- VIP -- $18. These tickets give visitors instant access to the festival via the Bamboo Gate
The Japanese Friendship Garden is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last admission at 5 p.m. For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.
