A lively opening ceremony is in store for this weekend’s Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Festivities for the 46th festival officially kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2, in the Japanese Garden, featuring a performance by the St. Louis Osuwa Taiko drummers and St. Louis Okinawa Eisa.
The three-day event, a Labor Day weekend tradition in St. Louis, will be held Sept. 2 and Sept. 3, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Labor Day, Sept. 4, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Highlights this year include sumo wrestling, a cosplay fashion show, dance performances, taiko drummers, calligraphy demonstrations, storytelling, candy-making, tea ceremonies and more. Authentic Japanese food, crafts and more will be available for purchase.
The Missouri Botanical Garden, in partnership with local Japanese-American organizations, has hosted the event since 1977. The festival, one of the largest celebrations of Japanese culture in the U.S., draws thousands of visitors to the garden each year.
Tickets are $16 (adults and children 13 and older) and $8 (members). For tickets and a complete schedule of events, click here.
See and Be Seen: Missouri Botanical Garden’s An Evening at the Garden
