Press Releases

PARKER RANCH HISTORIC HOMES HOSTING SPECIAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVITIES

Parker Ranch’s Historic Homes once again merges activities with the Annual Cherry Blossom Heritage Festivities on Saturday, February 2, 2008 with special displays, demonstrations and performances throughout the day.

This year’s festival joins the statewide recognition of 2008 as the Year of the Paniolo. In honor of this and the Waiomina Centennial Celebration honoring of Ikua Purdy’s 1908 win of the steer roping competition at the Cheyenne Rodeo, Cherry Blossom organizers will commemorate the Island’s cowboys of Japanese descent.

Cherry Blossom organizers will commemorate the Island’s cowboys of Japanese descent. Many got their start at historic Parker Ranch. On February 2 in the Historic Home Mana Hale there will be a special display paying tribute to Parker Ranch cowboys of Japanese descent that have been recognized by the Paniolo Hall of Fame. They are Kingo Gushikuma, Yoshio Kawamoto, Yutaka Kimura, Charles T. Kimura and Jiro Yamaguchi.

As tribute to Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival cross-cultural sharing, Oriental art by Shirley Pu Wills and other notable Asian artists will be on display at the Historic Home Puuopelu Gallery throughout the months of January and February.

On festival day in February Kona’s East West Fine Arts Gallery owner Annu Shionoya has arranged demonstrations and performances to illuminate the Japanese and Okinawan cultures. Visitors will be treated to performances by opera singer Kumiko Kinjo and dance performances by Hisae Takamine, founder of the Hisae Takamine Ryukyu Dance School in Okinawa. A choral group from Okinawa will be traveling to the Big Island to share their talent during the Cherry Blossom Festival with a Historic Homes performance. Waimea resident Emi Wakayama will demonstrate traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, also known as Chanoyu or Sado, to round out the day’s activities.

At the Cherry Blossom Festival opening ceremony Hawaiian TelCom will unveil their 2008 Yellow Pages, which feature a cover image from the Parker Ranch archives, furthering the state’s “Year of the Paniolo” theme.

Celebrate the day with Parker Ranch and the entire Waimea Community. Events are free and there will be complimentary shuttle service to all festivities.