The Jefferson Park Jubilee on Saturday, July 14 will include a special ceremony to mark the centennial of the gift of cherry trees from the nation of Japan to the United States in 1912, as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries. Multiple events to commemorate this anniversary are being held throughout the U.S. this year. Earlier this year, 25 cherry trees were planted at Jefferson Park this spring to celebrate this centennial along with the 100th birthday of Jefferson Park.
The Jubilee ceremony will be at 12 noon on July 14, with Mayor Mike McGinn, Consul General of Japan Kiyokazu Ota, and other dignitaries. Taiko performances and Bon Odori dances will begin at 11:30 a.m.
This is only part of the activities scheduled for the Jefferson Park Jubilee. See this earlier post for more about this all-day event.
The Jefferson Park Jubilee will celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the 1912 Olmsted Preliminary Plan of Jefferson Park.
The Jubilee will also commemorate the return of the Japanese-American community into Jefferson Park after the World War II internment ended the traditional community picnics held by the Japanese Language School throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s.
In ancient times, the Jubilee was known as a time for an evening of the scales, for repayment of debts, and for returning property to it’s rightful owners.