‘Rich diversity of cultures’: Visit Destination Asia at Morton Arboretum in Lisle
Visit the Far East without your passport as The Morton Arboretum in Lisle presents its popular Destination Asia Festival.
The event kicks off Friday, July 31, with lantern making, origami crane stations, sumo demonstrations and a large-scale puppet display in honor of the Year of the Horse.
At 8 p.m. Friday, visitors can take part in the Toro Nagashi lantern ceremony on Meadow Lake.
“Visitors can purchase a lantern for $12 online and participate in the ceremony,” said Kate Fitzgerald, Special Events Planner for the Arboretum. “People honor loved ones or write down wishes and release their lanterns onto the lake. We have not done the lantern ceremony the past two years, and we found it was very popular, so it is back by popular demand.”
To purchase a lantern before the event, visit mortonarb.org.
There also will be archery and cricket demonstrations; food trucks with a variety of Asian cuisine; the traditional Chinese lion dance; J-pop and anime music; Taiko drumming and shubukai dance; and sumo wrestling demonstrations.
“We are flying in the USA Sumo Wrestling team from LA to take part in demonstrations. Kids can have a chance to go up against the sumo wrestlers,” Fitzgerald said.
A new event this year is An Evening in Japan, which takes place from 6-9 p.m. Friday in the Ginkgo Restaurant. The cost is $50. The program, presented in collaboration with the Heritage Museum of Asian Art and the Japanese American Service Committee, features a live koto performance, displays of Japanese textiles and kimono-inspired pieces, as well as a selection of Japanese whisky, a complimentary sake spritz and sushi for purchase.
“The Ginkgo Restaurant has big windows, and guests at this event will have a great view of the lantern ceremony on the lake,” Fitzgerald said. “It is really beautiful.”
For more information about this event or to purchase tickets, visit mortonarb.org.
The weekend will also include a Bonsai Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, included with admission. The Prairie State Bonsai Society will present an exhibition of carefully curated bonsai trees.
“It is very exciting. A special judge is flying in from England to adjudicate the trees,” Fitzgerald said of Peter Chan, 85, who has written several bonsai books and is a bonsai artist himself.
“He is a very big deal in the bonsai world,” Fitzgerald said.
But the festival won’t just be focused on that particular well-known tree.
“Trees remain at the heart of what we do,” Fitzgerald said. “Guests will be able to take in the Temperate Asia Collection during the event. There will be signage directing them there.”
There also will be a special presentation titled “Saving Asia’s Threatened Trees: Global Partnerships in Action” from 2-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. While the program is included with admission, advance registration is required at mortonarb.org.
Visitors will learn how The Morton Arboretum and its international partners are working to protect threatened tree species across Asia through research, conservation and restoration.
Overall, Fitzgerald said, this is a rich cultural experience perfect for the whole family.
“There is something for everyone,” she said. “This event brings together the rich diversity of cultures in Asia. People forget just how vast and traditional Asia is, and this makes it accessible for families to experience a wide taste of Asia.”
Destination Asia
When: 5:30-9 p.m. Friday, July 31, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1 and 2
Where: The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle
Cost: Most events are included with Arboretum admission starting at $18.95 for adults 18-64, $12.95 for 65 and older and kids 4-17 for Friday and Saturday; starting at $17.95 and $11.95 for Sunday. Save $2 by ordering tickets online. Children 3 and younger admitted free all weekend.
Tickets: tickets.mortonarb.org/admission
Details: mortonarb.org