TANABATA FESTIVAL IS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE JAPANESE CONSULATE IN HOUSTON AND JAPAN AMERICA SOCIETY IN HOUSTON (JASH)

SPONSORED IN PART BY HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

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WHAT'S HAPPENING?

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Ongoing Activities:

Welcome Area: Start your Tanabata adventure here! Snap a photo dressed as a Tanabata character and grab your event “passport” to collect stamps as you visit each station.

When: From 9 am to 2 pm in Kids' Hall

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Craft Tables:

Station 1: Kirigami Creations – Cut colorful paper into beautiful Tanabata decorations and hang them from rope or bamboo to help bring the festival to life.

Station 2: Wish on a Tanzaku – Make a wish and write it on a colorful strip of paper, then hang it on the bamboo just like they do in Japan during Tanabata!

Station 3: Origami Magpies – Fold your very own origami magpie, inspired by the magical birds in the Tanabata legend, and add it to our growing sky tapestry.

When: From 9 am to 2 pm in Kid’s Hall

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Shodo Workshops: Join JASH to discover the beauty and tradition of Shodo, the ancient Japanese art of calligraphy! In this hands-on workshop, young artists will learn how to use traditional brushes and ink to create their own Japanese characters on paper.

^{Limit 12 participants per session ages 6+; Children will be provided with plastic aprons, but please do note that the ink may stain clothing.}

When: At 9:45, 11:15, 11:45 am, and 1:15 pm in Kaleidoscope

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Kendama: Learn the art of kendama, the classic Japanese cup-and-ball toy, and be wowed by a kendama expert’s jaw-dropping tricks!

When: From 9 am to 2 pm in Kids' Hall

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Tanabata Craft: Join us for a special craft to celebrate the Japanese holiday of Tanabata!

When: From 11 am to noon & 12:30 to 1:30 pm in New Kids' Hall

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"Star Festival” and Japanese/English storytime: Join us for a special reading of The Star Festival, a story about family, wishes, and the legendary reunion of star-crossed lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi.

When: At noon and 2 pm in the Parent Resource Library

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Japanese Storytelling: Enjoy Kamishibai – an interactive Japanese storytelling experience to learn the story of the Tanabata Festival!

When: At 11 am and 1 pm in the Parent Resource Library

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ON-GOING ACTIVITIES

Tissue Paper Stars: Celebrate Tanabata, Japan’s colorful festival of stars and wishes, by making a multicolored star and adding your own wish to the Wish Tree in honor of a celestial love story told for over 1,000 years.

When: All Day in the Kaleidoscope

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Tanabata Wish Tree: Add your wishes for the year to our bamboo tree in the Faithful Friends exhibit.  This tradition goes back goes back hundreds and hundreds of years in Japan.

When: All Day in the Kaleidoscope

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