Presented by
A heartfelt thank you to the Presenting Sponsor of The Big Picnic, TD Bank Group, for standing by our side during these unprecedented times. TD Bank Group and our artists have made it possible to bring some Big Picnic fun to everyone online!
Here’s how we’ll do it: Change things up and make it an adventure with a picnic at home! Utilize the backyard or balcony, or transform your living room into a creative space. Use the materials and ingredients you already have at home to make it festive and memorable with pink and/or cherry blossom decorations, foods and activities for everyone! Share your picnic photos with us on social media using the hashtags #TheBigPicnic and #TD.
How to #TheBigPicnic in 5 Easy Steps:
1. Decide if you want a theme! We want to see all different kinds of picnics and encourage any family-friendly themes! Make it a new cultural experience, a colour theme, a dress-up party, or just do it for the fun!
2. Curate a creative cherry blossom menu and try new foods! Get creative and show us the family’s favourite recipes or the picnic staples of your culture. We’d love to see your gluten-free/vegan menu, or show us how your take-out/delivery meal!
- 12 Popular Foods to Enjoy at Cherry Blossom Viewing (Hanami) by Just One Cookbook
- Support local businesses and restaurants with take out!
- Cherry Blossom Swiss Roll
- Pink Devilled Eggs
- Pink foods that look as fabulous as they taste!
3. Complement with entertainment & activities.
- Dress up! We all have those random costume props lying around that we don’t know what to do with. This is the time to bring it out! Dress up with your feather boas and cowboy hats, bring out the sparkly tiaras and fairy wings. Make it fun!
- Learn our song & dance, Cherry Blossoms For You & Me
- Make it a haiku session
- We’ll be posting performances originally planned for The Big Picnic event on our social media platforms and this page, so keep an eye out for them! You can also enjoy performances from Cherry Jam.
- Watch an iconic cherry blossom anime film: Shinkai Makoto’s 5 Centimeters per Second
- Do some arts and crafts!
4. Choose the space and set the mood! We recommend a sunny patio, balcony or backyard. Transforming the living room space is always fun too (remember the childhood days of building forts in the living room). Make it colourful and expressive of you.
- A picnic blanket is essential (blankets, towels, or bedsheets do the trick)! Add in some pillows for extra comfort.
- Loop some cherry blossom footage in the background with this playlist
- Bring over your potted plants or other elements of nature to make it feel like you’re outdoors
5. Take a picture and show off your picnic on social media. Don’t forget to tag @vancherryblossomfest and add #TheBigPicnic and #TD so we can re-share your adventure!
| 2020 Artist Bios | |
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The Khac Chi Ensemble (Vietnamese duo) is an incredibly talented Vietnam’s premiere musicians that have won the hearts of audiences in 25 countries over the globe. Showcasing rare and unique musical instruments that made by bamboo, interspersed with peoples of Vietnam, interspersed with the haunting melodies of Dan Bau, a one-string zither from northern Vietnam, the Koni which has resonation chamber is a player’s mouth, Khac Chi Bamboo Music takes you on an adventure in sound. Their concerts may include a combination of styles or feature any one style of Vietnamese traditional music, Vietnamese folk music or contemporary music to world music. |
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Tsatsu Stalqayu (Coastal Wolf Pack) is a Young group of Coast Salish people coming from across the Coast and throughout the Fraser Valley, they have members in there group from Musqueam, Nanaimo, Kuper Island, Cowichan, Tsartlip, Skway, just to name a few. They all come from different homes but they all come from 1 creator, who is the creator of all good things. Which brings them all together to sing and dance as one. The only goal in this group is to reunite there people and show the world who they are and where they come from. Performing for the people brings happiness and joy to there hearts as they sing dance and pray for each and everyone of us that are here today. |
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Vancouver Okinawa Taiko has been performing in numerous cultural festivals, charity functions, sports and anniversary events for some over 15 years. The group’s aim is to promote and preserve Okinawan style drum-dancing called Eisa, and to share Okinawan cultural heritage. Our membership consists of a mix of several generations to reflect the presentation of grassroots folk art. |
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Jessica Yue Dance Studio joined the City Contemporary Dance Company and Hong Kong Traditional Chinese Dancing as a full-time dancer after graduating from the Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2012, Jessica established her own dance company called Jessica Dancing Studio specializing in Chinese Classical and Fold dances. Jessica pioneers in the promoting of cultural interchanges, through presentations of public seminars and workshops on Chinese dance, such as the Classical Dance Workshop Series on Body Aesthetics and Water Sleeves. |
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Namsadang Taiko by Namsadang Cultural Institute …
‘Can Namsadang’ is a Traditional Korean Performing Arts performance team of ‘Namsadang Cultural Institute’ which was founded 2015 as a non-profit organization to introduce and educate Traditional Korean Performing Arts. ‘Can Namsadang’ has performed over 150 times at the various multicultural events throughout Metro Vancouver. In 2017, ‘Can Namsadang’ was selected as ‘Best Performing Art Team’ at Victoria Parade on Canada Day Event. |
About #TheBigPicnic
The Big Picnic event traditionally brings together 3,000 people from all over Metro Vancouver to share in the beauty of the blossoms and experience why “there are no strangers under the cherry tree”. The event is inspired by the long-time Japanese cultural tradition of hanami* which literally translates to “cherry blossom (hana) viewing (mi)”. This year we are asking people to share their home picnic adventures with us, to show the world how we’re moving forward despite the situation and still making happy cherry blossom memories!
*Hanami dates back to more than a thousand years ago when Japanese aristocrats sat under the flowering cherry trees and wrote poems inspired by the blossoms. Nowadays in Japan, friends and families gather under the cherry blossoms in the local parks eating homemade food or convenience store bento boxes, singing songs and partaking in simple, fun activities such as photography and haiku writing.
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