FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Want to celebrate part of Mother’s Day weekend in nature?
Immerse yourself in bonsai bliss at Pacific Bonsai Museum’s annual BonsaiFEST!
The non-profit living museum in Federal Way is dedicated to celebrating the ancient art of bonsai, where stunted trees are planted in containers and kept healthy through horticulture – ultimately, replicating nature in miniature.
"You really become aware of nature and the rhythms that happen throughout the year as you watch these trees day in and day out, year after year,” said curator Aarin Packard.
The Pacific Bonsai Museum’s collection is one of the best you'll find, outside of Japan.
The Domoto Family’s maple is the crown jewel – dating back to the 1800's, it was imported to the United States more than a century ago.
Another one was planted in a tin can by prisoner in an internment camp during World War Two.
Every tree tells a story, which can extend to a deeper appreciation of nature in general.
"It's that intimacy you have with the bonsai that allows you to see your own natural environment and your world a little bit differently,” Packard said. “It forces you to kind of slow down, look at the trees, pay attention to those little small cues and things they are constantly communicating to us, which hopefully grows into a greater appreciation for our world and natural environment."
The annual BonsaiFEST is an opportunity to visit the museum for free, and enjoy an entire day of activities.
"We have about two to three thousand people come out to see the bonsai, to see the blossoms and to see our new exhibition that's opening. It's called 'Small Talk: All the Dirt on Growing Mini-But-Mighty Trees,’” Packard said. "We thought it would be a fun opportunity to have the bonsai themselves sort of answer those questions in the first person."
There will also be food trucks, pop-up shops, docent-led tours and bonsai-making demonstrations.
BonsaiFEST runs Saturday May 11 and Sunday May 12 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Admission is free but donations and welcome and appreciated.
Pacific Bonsai Museum is located at 2515 S. 336th Street in Federal Way.
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