Hi guys~ so it's finally getting warm in New York, and it was the perfect weekend for the Sakura Matsuri Festival in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. If you're interested in seeing more photos and information about this beautiful Festival, click read more below!
This was the first time I'd ever heard about a cherry blossom festival in New York. I've also only been to Brooklyn once or twice, as it's rather difficult to reach coming from LI. If you're taking the LIRR you have to transfer and take the subway to the nearby Brooklyn Museum, but we left early and decided to drive. We made a good decision to arrive at 10 AM (opening time on Saturday) so we got there before the crowds and managed to get a pretty decent parking spot.
Tickets were $35 for adults, and $30 for students/seniors. There were a lot of events going on later (performances, tea ceremonies, cosplay, etc.) but we decided to take photos, have brunch at the beautiful Yellow Magnolia Cafe, and check out the vendors.
Yellow Magnolia Cafe
The cafe was a bit pricey at $15~$25 per person. However, all of the food was organic and the cafe was overlooked the lily pond. It was really quite pretty, and the food was surprisingly delicious. On weekends, take advantage of their weekend brunch specials. Lili got the burger with beet chips, and I had the steak and eggs bibimbap. It was delicious. I also had a cup of Italian roast coffee ($2.50) and later bought the K-Cups online. Has anyone ever heard of the brand Lavazza? So good. I made a reservation on Open Table, it seems like slots fill up quickly on weekends.
After brunch, be sure to check out the greenhouse next door. They had a bonsai gallery set up and various other indoor gardens.
As a note, the food options were limited (other than the canteen and the cafe) there were stands with sushi and onigiri but they were charging over $15 for those options.
 |
| Steak and eggs bibimbap |
The Vendors
 |
| Lili also bought a cute handmade fish-shaped coin purse (not pictured here) |
There was a line of vendors near Osborne Park, offering cute souvenirs such as Japanese dolls, traditional snacks, ceramics, sushi pillows, and other various accessories. A must visit was the Royce stand, offering the most luxurious and delicious chocolates. You can order them online (for a very expensive shipping fee, chocolates must come over dry ice). Think fudge. Rich, smooth, and velvety like ice cream. The sakura flavor tastes like almond paste, my favorites were white chocolate and green tea. Lili bought the milk chocolate with champagne.
Japanese Garden
The Flowers
 |
| Walk around the Japanese Pond |
 |
| Magnolias by the Conservatory |
 |
| Right by the entrance |
 |
| Cherry Blossom Esplanade |
 |
| Only picture without people in the background |
Unfortunately, most of the flowers were just beginning to bloom. So I'd say this coming weekend or next weekend would be the best time to go. Our waitress in the cafe said the blooms fall like snow, and it's a forest of blossoms when all the trees are in bloom. The garden was pretty small, and it got crowded very quickly. There were also a ton of cosplayers, so I thought it was interesting how the festival really incorporated parts of Japanese Culture.
We had a great time, but I'd definitely recommend going during another weekend! Less people mean more photo opportunities! Until next time~
Post a Comment