Persian pop and scintillating lights shine as Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates return of spring
Performances by Bakara Band, violinist Suzka Mares, and vocalist Andrea Superstein are in store at David Lam Park and beyond
Blossoms After Dark at last year’s Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. Photo by Lung Liu
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival takes place from March 26 to April 28 at various venues
SPRING IS IN the air here in Vancouver, which means that the city’s cherry blossom trees will soon bloom into spectacular canopies of pastel-pink petals.
It’s the perfect opportunity to practice hanami, the Japanese word for “flower viewing”, a millennium-old cultural tradition in Japan in which people observe and celebrate the trees’ breathtaking natural beauty together. The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is carrying on that tradition this year.
At the upcoming edition of the festival—which runs from March 26 to April 28—Persian pop outfit Bakara Band is among the highlights at the Big Picnic, a beloved annual event at David Lam Park. Attendees get to lounge on picnic blankets beneath more than a hundred Akebono cherry trees on the west side of the park and enjoy the view in true hanami style.
Speaking to Stir by phone, Bakara Band keyboardist and leader Milad Parpouchi notes that this year’s fest comes just after another holiday that celebrates the beauty of spring: Nowruz, or Persian New Year, which is on March 20.
“I think music is a universal way or method of bringing people from different backgrounds, cultures, and ideologies together,” Parpouchi says. “Events like these, specifically the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, provide opportunities for people to come out, meet their neighbours, meet their community members, be introduced to diverse cultures, and really build community in the process. And I think importantly it’s a way of introducing the community to local artists and really keeping the performing arts alive and accessible.”
Founded in 2005 by Linda Poole, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival takes place at a variety of spots where cherry trees are blooming around the city. Along with the Big Picnic on March 29, this year’s programming includes the return of two more signature events—Sakura Days Japan Fair and Blossoms After Dark—plus the all-new Blossom Block Party with Public Disco.
Bakara Band will take to the Cherry Jam Stage as part of a day-long lineup of performers at the Big Picnic. Throughout the grounds, there will also be 10 emerging artists hosting activities that range from making glass-tile mosaics to tying Chinese knots.
Suzka Mares.
Blossoms After Dark (which was revamped last year after a long hiatus) will take place at David Lam Park as well, from March 28 to 30. Come sunset each night, the trees will be illuminated with a spectacular array of colourful string lights, lanterns, spotlights, and projection mapping. Look out for light-art installations and roaming performers around the park, as well as a licensed lounge for sipping fun drinks like a pink cherry-blossom cocktail.
Violinist Suzka Mares, who is performing on the Blossoms After Dark main stage, played at one of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival’s very first editions. She’s been a regular attendee ever since—that is, when she’s in town.
“I’ve travelled the world a lot, so I pick up melodies around the world,” Mares explains. “I love different styles of music, including reggae and Latin beats—I infuse a little bit of everything.”
The classically trained artist draws on world, jazz, and fusion influences in her practice, often layering her violin notes over Afrobeats. Among the greatest highlights of her career so far, shares Mares, has been collaborating with hip-hop legends like Maestro Fresh Wes (who rapped over her spin on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for her 2019 album Source) and Wu-Tang Clan founding member RZA (who invited Mares on-stage at a Vancouver concert to play the unmistakable violin part in “Reunited” off Wu-Tang Forever).
At Blossoms After Dark, Mares will draw on her diverse experience to play a variety of lively, upbeat songs.
“I’m really excited about some warm weather coming up,” says the violinist. “So hopefully it’ll be nice out. I think it’s so beautiful to honour this land that we live on and the nature that we have. I just feel like we’re so lucky here in Vancouver to have that.”
Andrea Superstein. Photo by Brandon Elliot
Aside from the festival’s signature events, there will be free pop-up concerts in neighbourhoods around the city. At the early-afternoon Yaletown Pop-Up on March 26, Canadian singer-songwriter Andrea Superstein—whose latest release, Oh Mother, just received a Juno Award nomination for vocal jazz album of the year—is among the performers that will bring life to Bill Curtis Square.
“I’ve been to it before, and it is magical,” Superstein says of the fest. “I think that there are some really cool things happening in Vancouver, despite Vancouver’s reputation sometimes. There are so many amazing things, and I think it’s just a question of maybe having to look a little bit more carefully at what’s out there. But I really wanted to participate because I love the experience as a festivalgoer.”
Superstein, who has been on hiatus for the last year, shares that the beginning of spring has brought a sense of musical revival for her. She’ll be going back to her roots at the pop-up show by performing jazz standards alongside guitarist Stephen Bulat.
Milad Parpouchi.
That sense of springtime yearning is shared by the other artists too. Parpouchi notes that Bakara Band is known for its high-energy, interactive performances that keep audiences dancing and cheering—the perfect celebration for the start of sunny days. At the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, they’ll play a mix of new songs and old favourites in Persian and English. Because large public gatherings that involve music and dancing are not permitted by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s regime, Parpouchi notes that he and his bandmates “are grateful to live in a country and to participate in a festival that values and celebrates music and cultural diversity.”
The musician adds: “At a time where people feel isolated and lonely and in need of community, I think these events are central to addressing that need, or at least providing an opportunity for that sense of community. That’s such a fundamental human need, and an important part of feeling a sense of belonging. So what better way to do this than by bringing people together to enjoy the performing arts and the beauty of Vancouver’s cherry blossoms?”
Truer words were never spoken. With its mix of lively music and scintillating lights beneath the blossoms, the festival really is a love letter to spring. 
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