-Courtesy of Aversa PR & Events
FCM Hospitality announces a Parks Pop-Up with blooms, bites and beers just in time for the Cherry Blossoms! This temporary Pop-Up will be located outside the Fairmount Horticulture Center Arboretum (100 N. Horticultural Drive) starting on Saturday, April 2nd through on Sunday, April 10th. Patrons are invited to enjoy fresh food, local beers on tap, specialty themed cocktails and more, set in an outdoor environment with comfortable chairs and clean restrooms. Parks Pop-Up will be the perfect addition to the Japanese American Society of Greater Philadelphia’s “The Sakura Concert Series of the Shofuso Cherry Blossom Festival of Philadelphia” occurring the April 8-10th, which will feature a weekend long, non-ticketed, open to the public concert series exploring the the intersections of Japanese and African American culture through three days of musical performances by multi-ethnic Hip Hop, Jazz, and Percussion musicians.
Hours and days for Parks Pop-Up outside the Horticulture Center will be Saturday, April 2nd and Sunday, April 3rd from Noon – 7 PM; Wednesday, April 6th and Thursday, April 7th 4 PM -9 PM, Friday, April 8th 4 PM – 11 PM; Saturday, April 9th Noon – 11 PM; Sunday, April 10th Noon – 8 PM. Admission is free. The beer garden portion of the Cherry Blossom Festival and Viewing is 21+ to enter with proper I.D. Children, families, and anyone under 21 are welcome to participate if they are accompanied by a legal guardian who has legal identification. Well-behaved dogs are welcome and must always be on a leash. Food and drink are pay-as-you-go. Seating is first come, first served. Digital sign-in required. For more information on the Parks Pop-Up’s location and directions, please visit www.parksontap.com.
FOOD AND DRINK– FCM Hospitality will present a full menu of food and drink favorites – plus new selections that contain a nod to the celebrated Cherry Blossoms. For food, look for locally-made and sourced fare that includes signature BBQ dishes from Craft Hall, 901 N. Delaware Ave, with a variety of vegetarian and gluten-free options. From the bar, look for specialty themed draft cocktails and locally made brews from Mainstay Independent Brewing Company. Credit cards are preferred.
ENTERTAINMENT- The Parks Pop-Up will be a part of the larger attraction of the 2022 return of in-person Cherry Blossom programming at the Horticulture Center in West Fairmount Park. “While Japanese culture remains at the heart of our Cherry Blossom Festival, this year’s program has significantly expanded to include a number of West Philadelphia based artists and musicians from the predominantly African American neighborhood of Parkside, where Shofuso is located.” said Rob Buscher, Associate Director of Organizational Culture who is also leading the Re-imagining Recovery project efforts.
On Saturday, April 9, the cherry trees will also be illuminated starting at 7:30pm. The light-up event,called Yozakura in Japanese (literally “night cherry blossom”) will feature a video art set by OLUWAFEMI, artist and performer who redesigned the festival’s brochure and is Shofuso’s Artist in Residence through June 2022.
A peak into the weekend long programming is as follows:
Schedule:
APRIL 8, 7PM-10PM
Hip Hop show with Jason Chu, MC Tingbudong, G Yamazawa
APRIL 9, 6PM-10PM
Taiko drum concert by Kenny Endo with Philadelphia Orchestra
Video Art Set with Oluwafemi and Cherry Blossom lighting
APRIL 10, 11AM-5PM
Jazz concert with Phila Jazz Project, Reggae beats with Brown Rice Family, Taiko performance with Mac Evans and local drum groups
Full program is available on phillysakura.org.
Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) is a private nonprofit organization that has connected Philadelphia and Japan since 1982 through art, business, and culture. JASGP operates Shofuso, produces the Shofuso Cherry Blossom Festival of Philadelphia, and presents the US-Japan Business & Public Policy program, as well as other arts, business, culture, and educational programming for all ages. For more information, visit japanphilly.org.
Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center is a traditional Japanese house and garden located in West Fairmount Park. Shofuso is open for admissions to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm, through October 30, 2022; on Saturday & Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm, from November through December 11, 2022. Adult admission is $14; senior citizens, students with ID and children ages 5-17 admission is $9; ACCESS card holders’ admission is $2; and JASGP members, active duty military with ID and children under 5 are admitted free. Shofuso is located at Horticultural and Lansdowne Drs., Philadelphia, PA 19131. For more information, including special hours, advance ticket purchases, and admission rates, visit japanphilly.org.
ABOUT FCM HOSPITALITY:
FCM Hospitality is a Philadelphia-based hospitality and entertainment company, managing bars, restaurants, and seasonal pop-ups throughout the region. The company is owned by Avram Hornik, a leader with more than 20 years in the hospitality industry, who has developed some the city’s most popular permanent and temporary venues such as Morgan’s Pier, Concourse Dance Bar, Lola’s Garden Ardmore, Craft Hall, and Harper’s Garden. For more information about FCM Hospitality, visit fcmhospitality.com or call 215-568-1616.
Philadelphia RowHome Magazine's Blog 