Fall Ikebana Festival starts on Nov. 14 at Yume Japanese Gardens

  • Thu, Nov 14, 20249:30 AM to  Sun, Nov 24, 20245:00 PM
  • Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson (map)
  • Google Calendar  ICS

Fall Ikebana Festival

“Have you ever heard of “The Way of Flowers”? Sound intriguing? Come to our Annual Fall Ikebana Festival and experience the essence of the season with a wide array of colorful floral arrangements displayed in original vases throughout the Gardens.

Ikebana, also known as “the Way of the Flowers”, is the meditative art of Japanese floral arranging dating back to the 15th century. It subtly harmonizes nature and the hand of the arranger to create floral compositions that move the observer’s heart.

Unlike the flowers you may have seen here in America, Ikebana uniquely emphasizes shape, line, and form while giving equal attention and importance to the branches, stems, and leaves of a plant rather than merely arranging its blooms. This emphasis on the often forgotten parts of plants in western culture, make Ikebana truly inspirational. If you haven’t seen an ikebana arrangement for yourself yet, you must come to our festival this Fall! For our friends who come every year, the arrangements are never recreated so there will be Gardens full of new arrangements for you to explore as well.

Date & Time:

Festival will be held during our regular admission hours from 11/14 – 11/24. Special event fees apply, please check ticket prices below.”

Our general admission hours are: 

Thursday – Saturday: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Sunday: 12 PM – 5 PM

Tickets:

General admission: $20

Children under 15: $5

Members: $15

Includes entry to the entire Gardens.Get Tickets

Toro Nagashi/floating lanterns at Yume Japanese Gardens on November 9

EVENINGS AT YUME: FLOATING LANTERNS (TORO NAGASHI)

“As the sun sets and darkness falls, visitors will come to enjoy the custom of Toro Nagashi, a symbolic and poignant tradition that refers to Japanese lantern festivals: candle-lit lanterns are released on water together with prayers for peace or to honor those who have passed. This is a cultural and spiritual practice that fosters a deep sense of connection between the living and the dead.

This floating procession of lanterns, drifting slowly away on Yume’s sparkling koi pond, is truly a serene and contemplative sight. Participants will be mesmerized by the poetic glow of candlelight and relax to the sound of Japanese folk music playing softly in the background.

The term “toro” refers to lanterns, and “nagashi” means flowing or floating. This practice is often associated with various cultural and religious events, particularly during Obon, a Japanese Buddhist custom to commemorate deceased ancestors’ spirits. This poignant and spiritual practice fosters a sense of deep connection between the living and the dead. It’s a way for people to express their love and respect for those who have passed away while also finding solace in the belief that their spirits continue their journey.

Purchase a floating lantern at the door, and launch it on our sparkling koi pond to participate in this ancient and symbolic Japanese tradition without ever leaving Tucson.

Before launching the lanterns, participants may write messages, prayers, or the names of deceased loved ones on the lanterns.

Also available will be delicious foods from Takoyaki Balls food truck.”

Dates & Time: 

11/9

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Tickets:

General Admission: $20

Members: $17

Children 3-15: $5

Lanterns $5 each (recommended one per family)Get Tickets

Open studio by artist Makoto Takigawa on Nov. 8, 9, 10

Takigawa Studio 8325 E Colette St, Tucson, Arizona,
Open Studio tour: https://artsfoundtucson.org/venue/takigawa-studio/

November 8, 9, 10 from 9 to 4 p.m. daily

Primary Medium:Painting | Pintura

About the Artist

“My cultural background, where appreciation of nature is integrated in everyday life, combined with years of paleontological work further developed my sense of closeness with and ideas about nature. My inspirations arise from observations made while in natural surroundings. I explores time’s progression, endless movements, simplicity and complexity of nature through my brush strokes and colors while focusing on the visceral aspect of the imagery. I hopes to create images where the viewers experience their personal connection to nature through my paintings.”

Japanese doll exhibit Ningyo continues at Yume Japanese Gardens to April, 2025

Lovely Japanese doll exhibit opened on October 3 at Yume Japanese Gardens, and will continue to April 30, 2025.. Garden is located at 2130 N. Alvernon Way, south of the Tucson Botanical Gardens.

“The Gardens and Museum are usually open Sunday from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Thursday through Saturday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. We close Monday through Wednesday, Thanksgiving Day, December 24, 25 and 31, and New Year’s Day.”

www.yumegardens.org

Tucson Japanese Sports Matsuri on October 27 at International School of Tucson

“Coming up on Sunday, October 27. “The first half of the morning is an athletic event centered around children and their parents, during the lunch break time will be a variety of Japanese food purchases and selling items and events on stage. Later in the afternoon, there will be an adult-centered sports event for college students and events for children including yo-yo festival, Japanese games and hats.” Registration required for morning sports event. From 9:00 am to 12:00 noon there will be athletic competitions for children, stage performances at lunch time (Tagawa Trio, Tucson Yosakoi Club, Arizona K-pop Dance Crew) and a variety of Japanese food to enjoy. From 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm there will be athletic activities for adults, and the general public is invited to participate. There will also be a mini game corner and cotton candy, so it’s sure to be a lot of fun. Event details and registration will be announced later. Please mark your calendar and come and participate.”

https://tucsonundokai.org/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGCX-xleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHTyo01TZigOuS9iS5cfJkhVzkYUdjFYArWtkwOTQDdPUoK9YE1Y21nf8SQ_aem_tch5luM2rHeV9jc0bb1KeA

International School of Tucson is at 1701 E. Seneca St., west of Campbell Ave.