Every once in awhile, it is important to visit the outdoors and engage in local events, whether it is to cultivate your interests or make new discoveries. In fact, there are many opportunities right in our area. Just this past month, the Japanese Garden Festival was held at the Descanso Gardens, located in the city of La Canada Flintridge. The gardens are described as “an urban retreat of year-round natural beauty, internationally renowned botanical collections,” as stated on their website. The public is welcome to visit for a morning stroll or to attend concerts and classes. The family-friendly festival celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Japanese Garden through Japanese art and culture. Some exhibits included taiko drum performances, an ikebana display, patina fare, and crafts.

The Ikebana Display featured beautifully composed ikebana from the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Ikebana is the art of flower arranging and is one of the most actively-practiced of Japan’s traditional arts. This floral art is a disciplined craft in which the arrangement of the plant, nature, is brought together with humanity. The essence of the practice is to develop a closeness with nature. The Japanese Garden Exhibition “Sharing Culture, Creating Community” also opened to the public in the Sturt Haaga Gallery. Visitors were able to learn more about the history of the Garden and the people who created it. There was also the Garden Talk, led by Dr. Kendall Brown, professor of Asian art history and author of Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America, who presented a talk about Japanese-style gardens. He also held a book signing for his recent book Visionary Landscapes. Naomi Hirahara, curator and local historian, also presented a talk that examines the history of the garden.

Some of the festivities at the event included special cultural food, patina fare. Visitors had the option to dine on Japanese-inspired food, including a variety of barbecue selections. The taiko drums performance is always a crowd-pleaser; this year, it was performed by the Kishin Daiko drummers who impressively exemplified their percussive skills. The event also offered crafting opportunities, where people were able to create their own crafts inspired by the Japanese garden. New at the event this year were the culturally enthralling ancient music and dance performances from the Imperial Court of Japan.

If you’re ever in need of a place to go or want to relax in the beautiful outdoors, Descanso Gardens is always a place you can check out! It is definitely somewhere worth going in your lifetime, especially since it is just a few miles away.

Graphic by JOCELYN THAO