Red Wing Park’s Annual Cherry Blossom Festival

A cultural exchange Virginia Beach loves to celebrate

Rylee Partridge, Editor

May 16, 2025

The Cherry Blossom Festival held at Red Wing Park has become an annual tradition. Supported by sponsors like The Japan-Virginia Society and the Virginia Beach Sister City Association, the festival has served as a way to commemorate the friendship and camaraderie between Miyazaki, Japan and Virginia Beach.

More than 150 cherry blossoms were gifted by Miyazaki in 2005, marking this year the 20th anniversary of the gifting. Each year, Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation holds the festival in dedication to the friendship with our sister city as well as the celebration of various Asian cultures.

This year, Salem’s newly formed Asian Culture Club (ACC) spent Sunday, March 30th at the festival (Left to right: Club Sponsor **Mrs. Montana Mathews**, **sophomore President Ava Phan**, **junior Historian Emma Zhou**, **senior Treasurer Cambria Balza**, and **sophomore Media Specialist Dakota Cabangon**). (Rylee Partridge)

ACC Officers posing together in front of one of many of Red Wing’s many photogenic destinations. (Left to right: **sophomore Media Specialist Dakota Cabangon**, **junior Historian Emma Zhou**, **sophomore President Ava Phan**, **sophomore Vice President John Diwa**, and **senior Treasurer Cambria Balza**) (Screenshot: Rylee Partridge)

“I think it’s a great way to bring people together in small but meaningful ways. [From] taking photos near the cherry blossom trees, looking at the vendor shops, or even watching the cultural performances on stage. I loved seeing people support the vendors and their products,” said sophomore Dakota Cubangon

A Sister City is established when the highest elected official of both areas (typically the mayor) or a representative of each city, agrees to the formal partnership. It is a portrayal of goodwill between cities, often used as a way to share cultures and traditions of the allying cities.

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Many festival-goers stop to take photos with the various trees in bloom. “The trees were especially beautiful, and I definitely recommend going again next year,” said **Cubangon**. (Top right to bottom left: **Balza**, **Zhou**, and **Cabangon**) (Rylee Partridge)

According to The Virginia Beach Sister City Association, “In 1982, Virginia Beach mayor [Meyera] Oberndorf accompanied Dr. Hamada and his ODU student delegation to Miyazaki City, met with Mayor Nagatoma, and confirmed intent to establish a Sister City relationship. The relationship was adopted by both City Councils and Chartered by Sister Cities International, May 25, 1992.”

The crowded pathways of the cherry blossoms. Family and friends gathered around in appreciation of the trees. Cherry blossoms symbolize friendship and new beginnings. Due to the blossoms only blooming for a short period of time each year, some consider them to be one of life’s marvels, especially in Virginia Beach, where the trees are not native. (Rylee Partridge)

“I think that the festival was a great way to bring different communities together to view what the identity of Japan and [the] culture Japan has to offer,” said sophomore Ava Phan.

Cabangon agrees. “It was a success in promoting a celebration with Virginia Beach’s sister city, Miyazaki!”

If you’re interested in learning more about different asian cultures and/or celebrating the establishment of Virginia Beach’s partnership with Miyazaki, visit the links listed below!

vbsca.org- The Virginia Beach Sister City Association

History.com- Asian American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Month (AAPI)

About the Contributor

Rylee Partridge, Assistant Editor in Chief

Rylee Partridge is a sophomore, the Assistant Editor in Chief for the SunDevil Times and this is her second year in journalism. In her free time Rylee plays volleyball and the bass guitar. She is very passionate about various genres of music.