By Special to the Town Crier

The 18th annual Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled 10 a.m to 5 p.m, Saturday and Sunday, in Memorial Park on Stevens Creek Boulevard across from De Anza College.

The empowering and vibrant sounds of three Taiko drum groups, including the world-famous San Jose Taiko (Saturday, noon and 3:35 p.m.) will highlight the daylong entertainment which includes martial arts demonstrations, classical dance, Ruth Mun’s Silken Treasure fashion show and many other musical groups.

Displays and demonstrations of Japanese cultural arts will fill the Cupertino Room of the Quinlan Community Center: ikebana (Japanese floral arrangements) by Chizu Iwata and students; origami (paper folding) by Yoshiki Hirabayashi; sumi-e (brush painting) by Ami Wada; shodo (calligraphy) by Koho Nakasone; Kashu Suiseki Kai (scenic rocks) by Jackson Kato and Ted Kameda; bonsai (miniature trees) by Midori Bonsai Club; sushi making by Bobbie Arita; and bamboo displays and handmade paper demos by student Masako Kambe and Professor Gordon Holler, art teacher and curator of the Foothill College “Bamboo Garden.”

Food booths will offer a variety of delicious Japanese foods. A special section of the park will be devoted to the “Children’s Hands-on” area including a petting zoo.

Visitors can tour the new Senior Center and view student art from the Cupertino Union School District.

Cupertino Sister Cities Inc. is a non-profit organization to promote multicultural interaction and understanding. The annual festival enables 10 junior high school students to visit Cupertino’s sister city, Toyokawa, Japan, each year. In return, students from Japan are invited to stay with Cupertino families.

For information, call Margaret Abe, 941-9466.