Immerse yourself in this traditional celebration that is one of our favorite summer events!  Connect with new cultural experiences as you try your hand at origami or kirigami, make a fish print (gyotaku), add tanzaku to the trees in our Sculpture Garden and play some games.  End the evening with a lantern float on our pond for a serene and reflective end to our celebration.  All activities take place outside near the Sculpture Garden and Pond.

Colorful Tanabata festivals are held across Japan in early July and August. Among the biggest ones are the Tanabata festivals of Sendai in August and Hiratsuka near Tokyo in July.  Tanabata (七夕), also known as the “star festival”, takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the Milky Way, are able to meet.

**Tea ceremony held at the Arts Center as a companion event; registration required – see separate listing.