Dan Cirucci: Cherry Blossom Festival Tomorrow In Philadelphia!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Cherry Blossom Festival Tomorrow In Philadelphia!

Why go to D.C.? Bring the camera. It’s all right here in Philadelphia!

The 2013 Subaru Cherry Blossom of Festival of Greater Philadelphia

Blooms with Day-long Festivities

on Sunday, April 14

Presented by The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia

SAKURA SUNDAY

10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

* Tamagawa University Taiko Drum and Dance Ensemble from Japan *

* Kite-making, origami, calligraphy and Japanese flower-arranging *

* Prettiest Pet in Pink Parade * Japanese festival foods * Martial arts demonstrations *

Schedule for the Day … Parking in the park or at Mann Center with shuttle busses – lots of signage to direct you.

MAIN STAGE KEY EVENTS

· 10:15 AM- Opening of Sakura Sunday with ceremonial banging of the drum

· 10:30 AM - Opening Ceremony/Tree Planting

· 11:15 AM - Tamagawa University Taiko Drum & Dance

· 12:15 PM - Harajuku Fashion Show- by Old City boutique US*U.S.

· 1:30 PM - Japanese Pop Rock group Magverry

· 3:00 PM - Prettiest Pet in Pink Contest Winners

· 3:15 PM - Tamagawa University Taiko Drum & Dance

SAKURA PAVILION KEY EVENTS

· 11 AM and 12:30 PM – Tea Ceremony

· 11:45 AM and 1:15 PM - Ikebana Demo (Japanese Flower Arranging)

DEMONSTRATION STAGE

· 11AM – 3PM – Martial Arts Demos

COSPLAY GAZEBO

· 10:30AM TO 3:30 PM – Karaoke and Fashion

INDOOR S AT HORTICULTURAL HALL

· 10:30AM TO 3:30 PM – Interactive crafts, games, shiatsu massage

It promises to be a rich feast for all of the senses, when the 2013 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival explodes with excitement on Sunday, April 14 in Philadelphia’s West Fairmount Park, along Montgomery Drive near Belmont Avenue. The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia is organized by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) and celebrates Philadelphia’s rich cultural connections with the art, music, food, natural beauty and industry of Japan. From 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the signature of the festival --Sakura Sunday -- is celebrated for the 16^th time in Philadelphia, with an outdoor extravaganza of music, dance, festival foods, craft, culture, sport and even pets in pink! Admission to the Sakura Sunday festival is $5, with children under 14 admitted free. Beginning the day is the Cherry Blossom 5K, winding runners and walkers under lanes of ornamental cherry trees, through the historic Centennial District past Memorial Hall and Shofuso Japanese House and Garden. For details visit, www.subarucherryblossom.org

The lanes of ornamental trees swaying with pink and white sakura, the Japanese name for cherry blossoms, were originally planted in West Fairmount Park in 1926 as a gift to the city by the nation of Japan during the year of the nation’s Sesquicentennial Exhibition. A variety of stages and displays on the festival grounds will showcase a vast array of colorful performances, authentic food and crafts, with experiences that offer beauty, interactivity and imagination. Photographers will find something great to frame up in every direction throughout the day. Examples include:

The thundering percussion and visually stunning costumes of the Tamagawa University Taiko Drum and Dance Ensemble from Japan are an annual highlight and an example of the world-class performers featured on the festival stages throughout the day.
Kite-making, origami, calligraphy and the art of flower-arranging known as Ikebana offer many opportunities for hands-on experiences with the applied arts of Japan.
Vendors of modern Japanese festival foods introduce the adventurous to new flavors and demonstrate the many tasty ways that Japanese delicacies go far beyond sushi!
A pet-friendly event for those who bring their four-legged friends on leads and leashes, the annual Prettiest Pet in Pink Parade promises an overload of adorableness.
A variety of martial arts demonstrations offer inspiring displays of physical power steeped in Japanese tradition.
Tours of the spectacular Shofuso Japanese House and Garden adjacent to the festival grounds are available during Sakura Sunday. An additional entry fee is charged for those tours.
Title sponsor Subaru will showcase their brand new 2014 Subaru Forester model.

Sakura Sunday events are held rain or shine. Paid parking for the event is located at the Mann Music Center with shuttle service to the event (handicap accessible). There is also regular shuttle service between Center City and the Horticulture Center, which departs from the Union League of Philadelphia at Broad and Sansom Streets.

The Cherry Blossom 5K begins early with an 8 am start time (registration opening at 7 a.m.) for runners and walkers. Fees are $20 for JASGP members / $25 for non-members / $30 on-site, cash only. Registration and information is available on the event festival website and through Active.com.

Philadelphia’s Horticultural Center is located in West Fairmount Park at Montgomery Drive and Belmont Avenue (I-76 Exit 341), Philadelphia, PA 19131. Up to the minute program changes can be viewed on the festival website www.subarucherryblossom.org and event information is available by calling 215-790-3810.

The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia is a project of the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP), with tremendous support from Subaru of America, Inc as title sponsor. The project aims to foster a better understanding of the cultural, social, and educational customs of Japan building on the JASGP commitment to plant and maintain cherry trees in local parks. To date, JASGP has planted more than 1,000 cherry trees, supplementing the 1,600 flowering trees presented by the Japanese government as a gesture of friendship in 1926. Upon completion of its 1,000-tree pledge in 2007, the JASGP shifted its focus to plantings in community and neighborhood parks to help green and beautify urban communities. Since 2008, cherry trees have been planted in Clark Park, Franklin Square, and Morris Park.

About the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP): Founded in 1994, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia is an association of individuals, corporations and organizations devoted to fostering relationships between Americans and Japanese by promoting and encouraging better understanding of the business, cultural, social, educational, and political practices and customs of Japan and the United States.

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About Dan Cirucci

He's been cited by the late Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed across all media.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, a Save Jersey blog columnist, frequent guest on the Matt Rooney radio show and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.

Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.

Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post, Broad and Liberty and other print and online platforms.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Cirucci's passions include all things Italian, politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

He and his wife Carole have two grown children and seven grandchildren.

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