34 COURIER LIFE, MAY 3–9, 2019 PS
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FLOWER POWER: Cosplayers gathered under the cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic
Garden. Photo by Caroline Ourso
Full bloom
Brooklyn Botanic Garden celebrates
the cherry blossom season with
variety of cultural performances
BLENDING IN: Cosplayer Jon Rios showed up as Deadpool during the cherry blossom
festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Caroline Ourso
BY COLIN MIXSON
Brooklyn celebrated all things Japanese
at Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s
annual cherry blossom festival last
weekend.
The world-class horticultural museum’s
smorgasbord of cultural events
celebrated the brief, but extraordinarily
vibrant bloom that graces its
26 species of cherry trees, which lasts
only a few weeks in March through
April every year.
Performances included a highoctane
fusion of traditional taiko
drumming and martial arts courtesy
of Taiko Masala, an elegant Kabuki
Bayo dance performance, samurai
sword exhibitions, anime- and video
game-inspired jazz, and various other
musical acts with an eastern twist.
The garden’s beloved cherry blossom
festival wouldn’t be complete
without a zany cast of cos-playing
ticket holders, who donned historic
Japanese garb, along with less traditional
costumes, including Jon Rios’s
fantastic Deadpool, and Emma
Salder’s magical unicorn.