Celebrate spring at the Morikami's Hatsume Fair
The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is putting its spin on spring at the 36th annual Hatsume Fair this weekend.
"We have a lot of freedom with this one. It's not tied to a traditional Japanese holiday," said Samantha Levine, the Morikami's marketing and events manager. "Every year we try to change things up a bit."
Premiering this year is the Sake Stage, a live culinary venue. Cooking and beverage presentations will cycle throughout the event. Sake specialist Midori Roth will teach sessions such as Sake 101 and A Day in the Life of a Sake Brewer.
Chef Roy Villacrusis will demonstrate the art of sushi. He's known for his unique style of Asiatic cuisine.
"It's my personal take on Asian ingredients. Not necessarily Asian food, but using Asian ingredients," Villacrusis said. The Jupiter-based chef will prepare sashimi with simple sauces that can be duplicated at home.
He will also be joining Roth and Shingo Kurito from Japan's Kizakura Brewery on the Sake Stage for a food and sake pairing panel.
"Sake is still up and coming. People are familiar with wine, so we'll explain and contrast it with wine for a better understanding about sake and how you'd pair it with different dishes," Villacrusis said.
At the Kirin Beer Garden and Sake Station, festival goers can sample Echigo craft beer and Dewatsuru Sakura Emaki Rose, a pink rose sake made with rare purple rice that gives it the essence of cherry blossoms.
Teetotalers will find outdoor tea demonstrations along with unique fare from Asian and American caterers. Vendors return with aisles of artisan wares.
Another new attraction are the character meet and greets with anime and pop culture figures. Karaoke debuts to share the Morikami's three stages with martial arts demonstrations and taiko drumming performances.
The weekend's highlight is its fashion show and costume contests. On Saturday, cosplay (costume play) rules the catwalk. Sunday, fashion categories such as Lolita, steampunk and Morikami-inspired styles compete.
"It's less about characters and more about people wearing their interpretations of Japanese street fashion, which is huge in Tokyo," Levine said. "People really get into it and ham it up."
Even those who don't dress up enjoy seeing what others are wearing, she added. And for the museum, it has been able to reach the elusive teenage demographic.
"At the end of the day, it's about building awareness of Japanese culture," Levine said.Read more here:MarieAustralia formal dresses perth
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