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Celebrate Tanabata at the Seattle Japanese Garden on July 9

IMG_9964 (002)The Seattle Japanese Garden invites the community to celebrate Tanabata from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 9. The annual Japanese festival is celebrated with magnificent colors, craft making and a tradition of writing wishes. The garden is located at 1075 Lake Washington Blvd E.

Tanabata (Evening of the Seventh), is based on the legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi, star-crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way. According to legend, each year on the evening of July 7, Orihime and Hikoboshi are allowed to reunite for one night. In Japan, Tanabata is celebrated by decorating bamboo branches with origami ornaments and tanzaku poems or wishes written on small strips of paper.

Visitors will have the opportunity to write wishes and tie them to bamboo sticks in the garden. Garden tours will be offered at 12:30 and 2 p.m. The Tateuchi Community Room will be open for guests to enjoy complimentary iced green tea, and to view an art exhibit by Roosevelt High School students, featuring stunning photography of the Japanese Garden.

Traditional tea ceremonies will be held at 1 and 2 p.m. in the Shoseian Tea House. A limited number of tea tickets are available at $10 for adults and $7 for youth, and can be reserved by calling the Japanese Garden ticket booth at 206-684-4725. There is no charge to observe the tea ceremony from the courtyard.

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/245490495816913/

Event admission is free with regular garden admission. Admission for adults is $6; students with ID, youth age 6 – 18, seniors age 65+, and disabled, $4; children age 5 and under, free.  Annual passes will be honored. For more information, please visit http://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/.

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