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Year of 2019
June 6, 7, 8, 9

Celebrating 150 Years
2019 Sesquicentennial Wakamatsu Farm Festival

150 Mon Logo

Wakamatsu Farm
Placerville, California

Festival
Sponsors

Interested in sponsoring WakamatsuFest150? See our sponsorship options.

Thank you to our generous festival sponsors:

Japanese-American
Citizen League of
– Sacramento

– Placer County
– NCWNP District

The Latrobe Fund logo

El Dorado County logo

David Girard Vineyards logo

El Dorado Disposal logo

Gold Discovery Park Association logo

Japan Foundation Los Angeles logo

JA Community Foundation logo

Placer Land Trust logo

Bella Vista Bed & Breakfast logo

Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California logo

Cross Cultural Logo Communications logo

Japan Society of Northern California logo

On June 6-9, 2019, American River Conservancy invited the world
to celebrate
the 150th anniversary of the first Japanese colony in America
at the historic location of their 1869 tea and silk farm in Placerville, CA.

WakamatsuFest150 was a celebration of 150 years of Japanese-American heritage, arts, and cuisine. During the four-day festival, Japanese and Japanese American food, art, music, performances, demonstrations, discussions, and more captivated over 4000 visitors.  The festival location was Wakamatsu Farm, the site of the first Japanese Colony in the USA.  So many visitors enjoyed this one-and-only sesquicentennial celebration!

Click for Festival retrospective VIDEO.

Click for PRESS RELEASE describing WakamatsuFest150.

Click for festival RESULTS.

Click for Festival POSTER.

American River Conservancy sincerely thanks all festival sponsors!
Our sponsors’ contributions made WakamatsuFest150 a grand celebration befitting the occasion.

 

Want to visit the farm before or after the festival?
website: www.ARConservancy.org/wakamatsu
email: [email protected]
phone: 530-621-1224

Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Facebook Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Twitter Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Instagram

Schedule of Events

 

Printable Festival Schedule of Events

Commemorative Festival Program

During each day of the festival, visitors celebrated with performers, docents, speakers, demonstrators, vendors, and many others who enjoyed the legacy of the Japanese American experience for the past 150 years.  Around mid-day each day, festival-goers were treated to the world premiere live action play telling the Wakamatsu Colony story from Japan to America, 1869 to 1871.

Generally, each festival day centered on the following topics with some overlap each day:

Thursday, June 6 – Kids Explore Japanese Culture
Friday, June 7 – Japanese Tea Culture
Saturday, June 8 – THE BIG DAY* – Wakamatsu History
Sunday, June 9 – Wakamatsu Authors

Kids activities, tea, history, authors, food, and vendors were available each festival day.

 

IMPORTANT PARKING INFO

 

*The Wakamatsu Colonists arrived at the Farm on June 8, 1869.  Saturday, June 8, 2019 is exactly 150 later and the grandest day of WakamatsuFest150.

 

Want to visit the farm before the festival?
website: www.ARConservancy.org/wakamatsu
email: [email protected]
phone: 530-621-1224

Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Facebook Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Twitter Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Instagram

Visiting During WakamatsuFest150


Click here for the Commemorative Festival Program.

The site is an historic farm.  Dress and plan for rugged outdoor leisure enjoying unpaved trails and straw bale seating.  The Farm offers miles of beautiful open spaces to walk and explore.  Some areas are off limits according to signage.  The event is family friendly.  Only service animals providing a specific services are permitted. 

YOU CAN BRING: Chairs, blankets, sunshades, strollers, kid wagons, refillable drinking containers, non-alcoholic beverages, good walking shoes. Smoking is permitted only in designated areas. 

DO NOT BRING: Intoxicating substances (drugs or alcohol), outside food, firearms or weapons, or your pets.

Click for: Farm DirectionsParking off site at Coloma State Park.

Click for: Festival Visitors’ Map

Click for: Festival Lodging

 

Festival Parking:  Onsite parking during the festival was extremely limited. Visitor parked at the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma approximately 2 miles north of the Farm for $5.  Free shuttles regularly ran all day between the Park and Farm.  Onsite parking at Wakamatsu Farm during the festival was reserved for disabled drivers only.  Vehicle access during festival hours was limited to parking shuttles, guest/disabled drop off, and emergency services.  Visitors with gear (strollers, shade structures, chairs, etc.,) could drop of gear at the Farm before parking at Marshall Gold Discovery Park. 

Click for: IMPORTANT Parking Information

Click for: Festival Parking Directions

 

Visiting Wakamatsu Farm Other Days

Wakamatsu Farm is a working farm and private property.  Unscheduled drop-in’s are not appropriate.  The American River Conservancy offers public access to the Farm during many year-round tours and events.  Visitors can find all dates to visit Wakamatsu Farm on the event calendar at www.ARConservancy.org/events.   Private Wakamatsu Farm tours are available by calling 530-621-1224 or emailing [email protected].

 

Historic Wakamatsu
Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville, California, is the site of:

⋅  1st Japanese colony in the USA
⋅  
1st Japanese-American birth
⋅  
1st Japanese woman and immigrant who died and was buried in America

Wakamatsu Farm is owned by a small, non-profit, environmental organization called American River Conservancy, which is dedicated to preserving, restoring, and offering Wakamatsu Farm for posterity.

 

Saturday, June 8, 2019 during WakamatsuFest150
was exactly 150 years after the colonists’ arrival.

The people who joined this one-time-only event became part of American history.

 

Want to visit the farm before the festival?
website: www.ARConservancy.org/wakamatsu
email: [email protected]
phone: 530-621-1224

Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Facebook Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Twitter Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Instagram

Performers, vendors, demonstrators, speakers, etc.

52 Vendors and booths participated in WakamatsuFest150, including merchandise, food, tea, historical information, local businesses, and festival sponsors.  Thank you for joining us!

Festival Theme: “Celebrating 150 years of Japanese-American heritage, arts, and cuisine”
ARC encourages participation by anyone whose creative or professional work reflects the festival theme. 

 

Booth Prices Were
$50 Thursday & Friday ($25 daily)
$100 Saturday & Sunday ($50 daily)
$140 all 4 days (select booths only)
Free for non-profit or information only (no sales)

Booths were selected based on the festival theme.  Not all who applied were selected to participate.

Volunteers
Over 200 volunteers contributed over 2000 hours of service to American River Conservancy, which made this festival a grand success. Thank you to our wonderful volunteers!  We hosted our party for volunteers during the month of June 2019.

Volunteers assisted with the following types of festival jobs:

⋅  Site set up and break down
⋅  Merchandise, welcome, and kids booths
⋅  Nature interpretation and Japanese language translation
⋅  Parking, waste management
⋅  Stage hands and safety services
⋅  Many other tasks before and after the festival hours!

Volunteers benefit from a unique experience at Wakamatsu Farm in deeper connection with the land and history. 

If you would like to volunteer now, after the festival, click here to volunteer at Wakamatsu Farm.  After you submit your form, you will be contacted within a couple of weeks.

 

Want to visit the farm before the festival?
website: www.ARConservancy.org/wakamatsu
email: [email protected]
phone: 530-621-1224

Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Facebook Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Twitter Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Instagram

Thank YOU Festival Sponsors!

In total, 72 sponsors donated over $135,000 to help WakamatsuFest150 become a grand celebration!  Please look at the left side panel of this website to find the logos of our business sponsors.  They were also recognized in thousands of copies of the festival commemorative program and schedule plus countless copies of posters and flyers.  We wish all our sponsors continuous prosperity in the future.

Sponsoring WakaFest150 was a great way to become part of the WakaFest150 and Wakamatsu Farm experience.  With our sponsor’s support, American River Conservancy was prepared to host over 4000 local, national, and international visitors during WakamatsuFest150.  Generous sponsors definitely helped WakamatsuFest150 become a true success.

Supporting this festival was a tremendous source of pride for individuals, businesses, and organizations.  Sponsoring this unique experience offered exposure to Japanese American people, organizations, and businesses.  Festival sponsorship also represented their commitment to effective local environmental activism, sustainable agricultural practices, and informed cultural sensitivity among community and international circles.

Sponsorships at these monetary levels were available:

  • Wakamatsu Fan: $500
  • Tea Spirit: $1,000
  • Silk Legacy: $2,500
  • Samurai Honor: $5,000
  • Okei-san Memory: $10,00
  • California Landmark: $20,000  – we had 2 sponsors at this level!
  • National History: $50,000

Individual Sponsors: Please click here for details about sponsorship for individuals.
Business and Organization Sponsors: Please click here for details about sponsorship for businesses and organizations.

 

Want to visit the farm before the festival?
website: www.ARConservancy.org/wakamatsu
email: [email protected]
phone: 530-621-1224

Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Facebook Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Twitter Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Instagram

Media Kit
Click here for the WakamatsuFest150 media kit.

Click here for the before-festival press release.

About WakamatsuFest150
WakamatsuFest150 was a sesquicentennial celebration honoring the first Japanese colony of immigrants in America. As stated on California Registered Historical Landmark #815 located in near the center of the Wakamatsu Farm property, the Japanese immigrants “arrived at Gold Hill on June 8, 1869… it marked the beginning of Japanese influence on the agricultural economy of California.” This historic date made Wakamatsu Farm in the Gold Hill area exactly 150 years-old on Saturday, June 8, 2019 during WakamatsuFest150!

The 4-day festival honored the spirit of these first Japanese pioneers along with the fascinating history of the property and region. Wakamatsu Farm is located about 2 miles south of the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, the essential center of the 1849 California gold rush. Long before and into prehistoric times, California Natives lived on this land where their traces remain today. Prominent pioneer families from Europe settled and successfully farmed the land for many generations. Now the property is owned by American River Conservancy which offers Wakamatsu Farm as a community place to experience natural resources, sustainable agriculture, and cultural history.

Large portions of Wakamatsu Farm were open to the public during the Festival. Wakamatsu Farm ranges over 272 lush acres of farmland, oak woodlands, and riparian areas. On the property are ponds and creeks that attract abundant wildlife. The land is home to resident farmers who use “better than organic” processes to feed the community. Among other onsite features, the Farm includes a native plant nursery, giving garden, and a 1.5-mile wheelchair-accessible lake loop trail.

We hope to see you soon at Wakamatsu Farm.

Privacy
Information Collection and Use. ARC is the sole owner of the information collected on this site. We will not sell, share, or rent this information to others in ways different from what is disclosed by agreement. ARC may collect information from our users at different points on our website.

Links. This website may contain links to other sites. Please be aware that ARC is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this Web site.

Security. This website takes every precaution to protect our users’ information. When users submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and off-line.  We do everything in our power to protect user-information off-line. All of our users’ information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted in our offices. Only individuals who need the information to perform a specific job are granted access to personally identifiable information. Finally, the servers where we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

Photos and Images. The photos and images on these festival pages are protected and cannot be used without the ARC’s written permission.

Contact Us:
American River Conservancy
P.O. Box 562, Coloma, CA, 95613
ARC’s Nature Center: 358 Hwy 49, Coloma, CA (open Fri to Sun,10:00 to 4:00)

Want to visit the farm before the festival?
website: www.ARConservancy.org/wakamatsu
email: [email protected]
phone: 530-621-1224

Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Facebook Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Twitter Link to WakamatsuFest150 on Instagram

Sharing the Festival Moments

Visitors, photographers, and journalists shared thousands of beautiful photographs after WakamatsuFest150 in print and online media sources.

American River Conservancy created the photo share site at the link below to offer festival photographs for download to the public.  The Conservancy still welcomes festival photos from anyone who will allow the public to download their photos on the site below.

Click HERE for MORE WakamatsuFest150 photos to view and download.

Click for Festival retrospective VIDEO.

Please these photos capturing highlights of WakamatsuFest150.

Manga/Anime Art Contest

Hosted By: Wakamatsu FarmKinokuniya San Francisco Bookstore

Contest Dates: Now through July 15th 2019

Winners:

  • – Grand Prize: Cheyenne Dietz for her artwork titled “Prosper”
  • – Honorable Mention: Hannah Makino for her artwork titled “Steps Toward the First Japanese-American Colony”

Learn and create the exciting story of Wakamatsu Tea & Silk Farm Colony, the first Japanese Colony in America established in 1869 in Placerville, California. 

More Information

Social Media Contests

Hosted By: American River Conservancy

Contest Dates: Now through June 5th 2019

Winners will be announced via social media the evening of June 5th

Help us spread the word about Wakamatsu Festival 150 via social media. Follow the guidelines for each contest below to be entered to win 1-Free One Day Ticket to Wakamatsu Festival 150.

Share our Wakamatsu Festival 150 page AND tag a friend that is not already following our event page in the comments. 
Share our Wakamatsu Festival 150 instagram page AND tag a friend that is not already following us in the comments. 
Retweet our Wakamatsu Festival 150 Twitter page AND tag a friend that is not already following us in the comments.

 

Haiku Writing Contest

Hosted By: Yuki Teikei Haiku Society

Contest Dates: Saturday, June 8, 2019; 10am – 2pm

Winners & Prizes will be announced at 2:45pm

Pick up your entry card at the Poetry Booth near Okeisan’s Stage. 

More Information

Social Media Contests

Hosted By: American River Conservancy

Contest Dates: June 6th – 12th (During the festival)

Winners will be announced via social media June 15th

Help us document this historic event by tagging, liking, and sharing your festival images/videos with us on social media. To be entered you must use the #wakafest150 AND tag our social media account(s). Winners will be given a limited edition Wakamatsu Pint Glass from Klean Kanteen

 

National History Day Competition

Hosted By: Sacramento County Office of Education

Contest Dates: May 10th 2019 (Finals: June 9th – 13th 2019)

Kai Chang, awarded 5th place Historic Paper (Middle School Level)

After months of intensive research and success at district & county-level competitions, champions were recognized at the 2019 National History Day – CA State Contest. Sixty-seven students will represent California at the National History Day competition in Maryland, June 9 – 13, 2019. More than 600,000 students nationwide participate in the year-long National History Day program. In California, more than 40,000 students participate in National History Day each year. This year, 1,510 students from 296 schools representing 27 counties participated in the California state contest. More than 240 historians, educators, and other professionals interviewed students and evaluated their work at the competition. Students were also awarded special prizes donated by sponsors. National History Day students engage in project based learning as they choose their own topics of study connected to an annual theme and then engage in public history at competitions. This year’s theme is Triumph & Tragedy in History. National History Day students research historic documents and artifacts, conduct oral histories, search the Internet and libraries for information on their topic, and travel to historic sites. They present their work in a variety of ways including: museum-type exhibits, documentaries, websites, original performances, posters, or traditional research papers.

Triumphs and Tragedies of the Wakamatsu Colony

Press Release

Featuring

Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan

The Bookery

Brigit Truex, Author

Brian Hayes and Sarah Murray Pottery

The Butcher’s Kitchen

Charmed by Victoria

Cins Creations

Carol Brown/Mokuhanga Studio

Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco

Daniel Metraux, Author

Farm Fresh to You

Florin JACL

Fosilart

Frames of Anime

Global Tea Initiative

Golden Feather Tea

Golden Empire Council Archers

Grass Valley Taiko

Herb Tanimoto, Author

Hokka Minyo Tanoshimi Kai, Dancing

Hokka Nichi Bei Kai (JAANC) 

Hooverville Orchards

Horton Art Studios

Hug a Sumo

International Tea Sippers Society

Ikebana International, Sacramento Chapter #26

John E. Van Sant, Author

Kado’s Asian Grill Food Truck

Keith Little / Slate Mountain Music

Kenneth E. Mahar Photography

Koyasan Spirit of Children Taiko

Kreative Design

Lotus Bonsai Nursery

Lizama Clay Studio

Marco Lienhard

Mariko III

Midori McKeon

Motoshi Kosako, Harpist

Muyuan

National Japanese American Historical Society, Inc.

Nikonina-Be One

Nisei VFW Post 8985, Dancing

Noh Hands Theater

Northern California Cherry Blossom Court

The Original Kettle Korn

Placer Land Trust

Placer Ume Taiko

Pomegranate Designs

Redwood Kyudojo

Ricci Institute, University of San Francisco

Robin French, Temari Embroidery

Sacramento Japanese Sword Club

Sacramento Kendo Club

See the Elephant Productions

Senkakukan Japanese Sword Studies of Sacramento

Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto, Koto Musician

Sierra Rizing

Shimizu Sake Brewery

Stockton Bukkyo Taiko

Sumofish

Taylor Graham, Poet Laureate

Tea Cozy

Temple KUKURI

Woodsong Herbs

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