Huge crowd expected Sunday as PFW hosts Cherry Blossom Festival for second time

When more than 11,000 people attended the 2022 Cherry Blossom Festival at the Allen County Public Library, organizers realized the event had outgrown its roots after 14 years. That’s when Purdue University Fort Wayne stepped up to offer its campus as a larger option for last year’s festival.

“It provides the university the opportunity to prove that we are a good partner to the community,” said Glen Nakata, PFW’s vice chancellor for financial and administrative affairs and a festival board member. “It’s things like this that we very much need to be involved with to make sure we are an integral part of Fort Wayne.”

The 2024 Cherry Blossom Festival will be held again at PFW on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Activities will take place around Walb Student Union, the skybridge that connects the union and Helmke Library, the Science Mall, Friends Pavilion, and Alumni Plaza. Among the many options are a haiku contest, karaoke, crafts, games, vendors, performances, and plenty of food.

“I think it’s a really good honor that the PFW Japanese Club has been invited back to this event,” said Bella Escobar, the two-year club president. “We are good people, but also very diplomatic about how we present ourselves in front of a bunch of people who may not know PFW. There’s pressure because we are PFW students, and we want to showcase the club, but we are also showcasing PFW.”

To showcase some of what it does, the Japanese Club will host a game, talk about its purpose, and discuss opportunities for involvement.

PFW’s history of hosting big events, easy access, and plenty of free parking is essential to welcoming such a large audience, according to Lisa Zerkle, director of special events and campus emergency preparedness and planning coordinator. Some of last year’s performances in the International and Classic ballrooms reached capacity, and there has been limited discussion about potentially expanding the event’s hours.

“I would like to expand the festival footprint and spread things out,” Zerkle said. “PFW has so much area for the festival to provide new offerings each year.”

That would be a wonderful challenge to take on, Nakata said, estimating as many as 10,000 people participated last year. He’s also the lead emcee for the performances.

"I think this festival will continue growing and give Fort Wayne the ability to connect with Japan," Nakata said. “I think it’s great to expose more people to this campus, including junior high and high school students who might consider continuing their education here. This campus is pretty beautiful, and it’s important to highlight that and show what our campus has to offer to potential students.”

After his grandparents emigrated from Hiroshima, Japan, in the late 1800s, Nakata’s father was born in San Francisco. Nakata said he enjoyed Japanese cultural events in other parts of the country and especially Los Angeles before coming to PFW in 2021.

“Gaining an appreciation of Japan, Japanese culture, and history is very important,” Nakata said. “It’s one thing when you are in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and the big cities, but there is an Asian population here, and now we can expose people to the opportunities that our community offers.”

Nakata said interest in Japanese culture is increasing in part because of continual exposure to Japanese-based television shows, animation, crafts, comics, and food.

Shortly after his sister city delegation toured PFW in October, the mayor of Takaoka, Japan, agreed to a partnership with the English Language Partners program of the Three Rivers Language Center in the College of Liberal Arts. Implementation started Feb. 5 as Escobar met seven students and two professors from Takaoka University of Law for a class she led online.

Inspired by the Cherry Blossom Festival’s success last year, the Korean Festival Fort Wayne is moving to the PFW campus on Sept. 7. Its activities will take place around the Music Center.

“PFW can continue to build bonds with community organization groups that can enhance diversity,” Nakata said.