Pittsburgh Sakura Project comes to North Park on April 17th.

Another event to pass along for readers in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Sakura Project (さくらプロジェクト) will be having its 2nd Annual Sakura Planting Day at North Park on April 17th. This year volunteers will put trees near the park's boathouse, with other events that day including "taiko drum performance, koto performance, Pittsburgh Ensemble Nippon, introduction of Japanese culture, [and] aerial photography."



The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette covered the planting last April

On Saturday, with the help of more than 300 volunteers, 22 large Accolade cherry trees were planted, along with 10 Yashino cherries and eight Winterking hawthorns.

In Japan, the tree is celebrated for its blooms; cherry blossoms are the country's unofficial national flower.

"The Japanese people enjoy cherry blossom viewing in the spring," she said. She explained the tradition of picnicking under the fragile pink-and-white blossoms while singing, dancing and enjoying sake for the short two-week blooming time of the tree.

and the project's webpage has a small collection of photos. You can sign up using this flyer (.pdf file).

This project caught my eye months ago both because the park is only a few miles from my house, and because I always wondered why more cities and towns didn't bother to plant cherry trees. The blossoms will be a nice addition to an already pleasant area. North Park has seen more picturesque days, though, and is currently in the middle of having its lake drained as part of a restoration project.



North Park Lake with the boathouse in the background, taken during my trip home last September.

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