Cowra Set For Sakura Matsuri

The Cowra Japanese Garden is all set to welcome back its biggest annual festival Sakura Matsuri, this Saturday, for the first time since 2019.

The event will be the centrepiece of a series of events celebrating Spring in Cowra this year, as part of the Cowra Tourism Corporation’s ‘Carnival Of Colours’, from September 23 to October 8. Sakura Matsuri will be the first major event organised by new Japanese Garden Manager Margaret Davidson, who took to her post in late July.

She said it had shaped up to be a massive festival this year.

“We will have sumo wrestlers, a soprano, a story teller with puppets, bonsai workshops and kimono, and we have updated our social media pages with photos of the cherry blossoms as they started blooming,” she said.

The festival will run from 8:30am to 4pm on Saturday, with events running in six separate areas of the Garden. There will also be a food market and a craft market. Events will run at the following times:

Bonsho Stage

10:00am - Torsion Youth Choreographic Ensemble
10:30am - Battodo (Japanese sword)
11:00am - Taiko drummers
11:30am - Sydney Sakura Choir
12:00pm - Misako Piper, Soprano
12:30pm - Nihon- Buyo (Japanese traditional dance)
1:00pm - Torsion Youth Choreographic Ensemble
1:30pm - Battodo (Japanese sword)
2:00pm - Taiko drummers
2:30pm - Sydney Sakura Choir
3:00pm - Misako Piper, Soprano
3:30pm - Nihon-Buyo (Japanese traditional dance)

Koi Arena

10:00am - Kumiai-Ryu Martial Arts
10:30am - Kamishibai storytelling
11:30am - Sumo wrestling
12:15pm - Martial arts workshop for kids
1:00pm - Kumiai-Ryu Martial Arts
1:30pm - Kamishibai storytelling
2:30pm - Sumo wrestling

Education Centre

Tea ceremonies at 10:00am, 10:40am, 11:20am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 1:40pm, 2:20pm.

Cultural Centre

11:00am - Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement)
2:00pm - Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement)

Rear of Garden

10am - 3:30pm - Japanese close-up magic by Tomo (all day)
10am - 3:30pm - Origami demonstrations and workshops (all day)
10am - 3:30pm - Yukata photo pop-up ($5)
10:30am - Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute)
11:00am - Kimono demonstration at the Tea House
12:00pm - Kyudo (Japanese archery)
1:30pm - Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute)
2:00pm - Kimono demonstration at the Tea House 3:00pm - Kyudo (Japanese archery)

Bonsai House

10:00am - Bonsai workshop
12:00pm - Bonsai workshop
2:00pm - Bonsai workshop
The bonsai workshop is 2 hours and costs $50 per person. It includes a plant to take home.

• Topics:
• Festivals
• Gardening
• Events
• Living and Lifestyle