Clark College Celebrates Sakura Festival on April 25
For Immediate Release
April 18, 2024
Annual event celebrates friendship between cultures
VANCOUVER, Wash. — The annual Sakura Festival returns on Thursday, April 25 to the Clark College main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way. The free community event underneath a canopy of cherry blossoms is presented by Clark College, the city of Vancouver and Vancouver Rotary.
Opening remarks begin at 1 p.m. in the Royce Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden, located next to Beacock Music Hall on Clark’s main campus. In case of inclement weather, the event will be inside Gaiser Student Center in the Penguin Union Building.
Schedule
- 12:50 p.m. - Koto performance by Mitsuki Dazai.
- 1:10 p.m. - Greetings from Dr. Karin Edwards.
- 1:15 p.m. – Greetings from City of Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle.
- 1:22 p.m. – Greetings from Mr. Yuzo Yoshioka Consul General.
- 1:25 p.m. – Greetings from Clark College student, Daniel Wall.
- 1:28 p.m. – Clark College Treble Ensemble performance.
- 1:40 p.m.– Guests walk through Japanese garden and up to Gaiser Student Center.
- 2:30 p.m. - The celebration continues in Gaiser Student Center with a performance by Oregon Koto-Kai, Haiku reading by Clark College Japanese Club, martial art demonstration, and art share by children enrolled in Child and Family Studies program. There will be a variety of cultural displays and demonstration tables around the room. Hand-painted cherry blossom cookies will be provided by the college’s Professional Baking & Pastry Arts students.
- 3:30 p.m. - Event ends.
History of Sakura Festival at Clark College: More than 25 years ago, the City of Vancouver received a gift of friendship: 100 Shirofugen cherry trees. They were planted at Clark College, creating an enduring reminder of the bonds between our region and Japan. Over the years, those trees have grown and blossomed—as has that friendship, creating traditions like the establishment in 1995 of a sister-city relationship between Vancouver and Joyo, Japan, and our annual Sakura Festival, begun in 2006.
Learn more about the history of the Sakura Festival
Driving directions and parking maps of Clark College are available online.
Clark College expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran or military status, citizenship, immigration status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal in its programs and activities. Learn more at www.clark.edu/nds.
If you need an accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Clark College’s Human Resources Office. Phone: 360-992-2105 or email: hr@clark.edu
About Clark College
Founded in 1933 and celebrating its 90th year, Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. It is a public community college offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves a wide range of students including high school students, displaced workers, veterans, parents, non-native English speakers, and mature learners. Approximately 45% of its students are in the first generation of their families to attend college.
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For additional information (media inquiries & photo requests)
Maureen Chan-Hefflin, Clark College Communications & Marketing
T: 360-992-2243 E: mhefflin@clark.edu
