Cumberland City Council is excited to be bringing back one of Australia’s most photographed, natural and instagrammable cultural events, the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival, to the Auburn Botanic Gardens from Saturday 20 August to Sunday 28 August.
Held over nine days, the iconic family friendly event will pay homage to Japan’s traditions, music, pop culture and food all while capturing the hearts of thousands as the cherry blossoms burst into colour.
This year’s festival theme is centred around ‘Love, Peace and Blossoms’ and focuses on mindfulness, feeling good, and savouring the beauty of mother nature.
The Auburn Botanic Gardens will play host to crowd favourite Hello Kitty and her very own garden party with themed craft activities, as well a 9-hole Harajuku themed mini golf course and a Sakura Mocktail Bar where drinks can be enjoyed while listening to a host of DJ’s playing a mix of Japanese and pop music.
The fun doesn’t stop there. Festival goers are also encouraged to bring their dancing shoes and join the Flower Rave – an energizing power packed dance held every morning at the Flower Power Stage, before experiencing YU NI ON TAIKO – a high spirited Japanese drum blended with percussive sounds and festive song and dance. There will also be other stage performances to enjoy including Ikebana – the art of Japanese flower arranging, and Japanese story telling.
The Japanese Food Village will take your taste buds on a culinary journey with exclusive pink cherry blossom themed dishes to try; including cherry blossom waffles, Sakura burger, cherry blossom lamingtons and Japanese flavoured cold brews, coffee, sodas and bubble tea. Plus there will be a huge selection of Japanese fusion food to keep your palate tantalised including the ramen burger, tempura mushrooms, steamed bao buns and more.
While the Auburn Botanic Gardens and festival programme is accessible to all visitors from 9am to 5pm each day, the number of visitors allowed in the cherry blossom viewing area at any given time will be limited to capacity numbers. This will ensure each visitor’s experience is as enjoyable and relaxed as possible while wandering through the gardens and soaking up the atmosphere during the self-guided tour.
There will be eight 45-minute sessions each day to choose from and tickets must be booked in advance to secure your spot.
Cumberland City Council Mayor Lisa Lake said this event is one of Cumberland Council’s largest cultural events that brings in large crowds from all across Sydney.
“Council is very excited to host this spectacular and very important cultural event for our community and greater Sydney and give visitors a unique experience like no other.”
“The Sydney Cherry Blossom was launched in 2011, as part of a range of new arts festivals and events, and has since grown into Council’s largest and most iconic event that really showcases the Auburn Botanic Gardens, one of the many hidden gems you will find in Cumberland.”
“To ensure festival goers and residents aren’t too impacted by traffic, Council will be offering free bus transfers from Auburn Station to the gardens, but if you need to drive in, I encourage you to park in the pop-up festival carpark that will be located in Tavistock Street in Auburn and catch the fun ‘Sushi Express’ mini train to the gardens.” said Mayor Lake.
The Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival tickets are on sale now.
To book your tickets, head online to Council’s website: https://www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au/sydneycherryblossomfestival
