Ohanami - Japanese Cherry Blossom Viewing : UWF Cherry Blossom Festival

Ohanami (Oh-ha-na-me) is the yearly Japanese tradition of having a picnic underneath the beautiful and short-lived sakura (Cherry Blossom Tree). These beautiful plants bloom only for a short period in the spring and are known for their sudden appearance, quick departure, and breathtaking flowers.

Photograph by Brandon McLeod

Photograph by Brandon McLeod

The University of West Florida is having a Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Matsuri) on Friday March 30, 2012 starting at 1:30 in the afternoon. For more information contact the UWF Japan Center at 850-474-3363 or email japan@uwf.edu.

Feature speakers include:  UWF President Dr. Judith Bense, CEO and President of Florida House on Capitol Hill Bard Hudson, Congressman Jeff Miller, Florida Secretary of State Kenneth Detzner, Consul General Eiichi Kawahara, Secretary of Florida Lottery Cynthia O'Connell, Mayor of Pensacola Ashton Hayward.

Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this. Take the family along and have a nice picnic under a soft pink canopy.

If you can't make it to the UWF Cherry Blossom Festival, be sure to head over to Mobile's Charles Wood Japanese Garden before it's too late!