Weekend Break: Destination Asia Festival
CHICAGO (WGN) — The Morton Arboretum was buzzing this weekend for the annual Destination Asia Festival.
“I like it because throughout the years, I’ve realized it’s more and more important to keep the cultural awareness alive, especially nowadays there’s more and more yo-yos that have come out, the Chinese Yo-yo is very traditional,” said Ryan Shi, Director of the Chinese Yo-yo School.
Chinese Yo-yo performers were just one of many activities featured throughout the festival.
“We’ve been doing this for about ten years. This is a representation of the Asian culture and the trees that we have at the Arboretum,” said Kate Fitzgerald, special events planner at the Morton Arboretum. “So, it’s a great celebration, an opportunity for visitors to be immersed in the culture.
“We’ve got performances on three stages, they’re ranging from live martial arts, to live musical and dance performances, and we’ve got a lot of authentic Asian cuisines.”
Visitors also connected with nature on a smaller scale—exploring and learning about the Japanese art of Bonsai.
“I think they’re so drawn to Bonsai because of the tie to trees in nature, like in this beautiful arboretum setting, and seeing them in miniature and trying to recreate that connection that we all have with nature,” said Jennifer Price, guest artist for the Prairie State Bonsai Society.
For more information on the Destination Asia Festival, visit the Morton Arboretum’s website.
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