The 39th Annual Sakura Festival will be at the Snow Hinton Park Pavilion on Saturday, March 22nd from 10 am to 1 pm.

The Annual Sakura Haiku Contest is open to entries online and the last day to enter is March 15th. Winners of the Haiku Contest will be announced at the festival and certificates will be mailed out at a later date.

The theme of this year’s Sakura Festival is “Tomo ni hagukumu” or “Harmony.”

The spring celebration of Sakura, or cherry blossoms, reminds us of the value of each moment, while the return of spring awakens us to fresh possibilities in life. This year’s theme reminds us to nurture and carry on the connections that were built between the community of Tuscaloosa and our sister-city, Narashino, in Japan.

Tuscaloosa’s Annual Sakura Festival provides an opportunity to experience Japanese culture through educational demonstrations, live performances, and fun activities for all ages!

For more information about the festival and the link to the haiku contest, visit international.ua.edu/sakura