The annual Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival takes place tomorrow. Founded in 2009 as a collaboration between the Japan-America Society of Tennessee, the General Consulate of Japan, and the Mayor’s Office, the festival is a celebration of Japanese culture, from martial arts to traditional music to wood block prints.
In this episode, guest host Nina Cardona talks with folks who helped found the festival, as well as tree and beautification experts, about the history of the festival, what it means to the community, and the symbolism of cherry blossoms.
But first, the Franklin Pride festival narrowly survived a 5-4 vote by the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen after a passionate public comment period. Reporter Matt Masters from The News was there, and shares more about what happened.
This episode was produced by Rose Gilbert.
Guests:
- Matt Masters, reporter covering Williamson County for The NEWS
- Terry Vo, MC of the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival and president of the Asian and Pacific Islanders of Middle Tennessee
- Erwin Ricafort, The Dojo of Nashville
- Anthony J. Viglietti, spearheaded efforts to plant cherry trees along Riverside Drive Memorial Boulevard
- Becca Morris, Executive Director of The Nashville Tree Foundation
Special thanks to Yurina Yoshikawa.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM