Festivals, Ice Cream and Crane Necklaces

Picture of Calpico, taken by me

This previous weekend on Saturday I went to a Japanese festival in Salt Lake City with my friend Marea from the blog Anything and Everything. The festival was held on a street, with various vender, for both food and other items like clothing and accessories. They also had a few game tents or booths, and two separate stages with different performances going on. It was a very cool experience and I got to try some very good food, and drinks while there. I had a teriyaki beef bowl and successfully ate it with chopsticks, haha. We also shared gyoza, which for those who do not know, is a Japanese pan-fried dumpling.The food was delicious and I enjoyed it a lot. While at the festival I also tried a White Peach Calpico, which is a Japanese carbonated drink, that is almost milky, similar to Yakult (Yakult is another Japanese drink).

Not only were there vendors at the festival, but there was also a small store that had knickknacks, candy, accessories, jewelry and many other cute items. While there, my friend and I both purchased delicate little necklaces with a gold circle pendant that has a crane etched in. It is supposed to represent or bring good luck to person who is wearing it. I also purchased a pack of miniature colored pencils, that actually work. In comparison to my pinky finger, each colored pencil is about half the length.

Ice Cream, photo taken by me

My friend and I shopped, ate and watched the different performances before heading to The Habit, a fast food restaurant to get ice cream cones. Throughout the day I had a lot of fun exploring, taking artsy pictures and just walking around spending time with my friend. It was a great experience and although I do not know a ton about the culture and lifestyle it was super cool and interesting to be involved for the day!

I am hoping to go back to this festival next year, or find another one similar to it wherever I am (since I am most likely moving). The festival was an amazing and fun experience and I hope that next year, whether I'm here (in Utah) or in Florida that I will be able to find another festival or cultural event like this one and spend a fun day with friends exploring.

Overall I had a very fun time and ended up going to see Park City High School's production of Anne Frank afterwards. I hope you enjoyed this blogpost and make sure to check out Anything and Everything if you'd like, Marea writes some pretty cool posts. Anyways, see you next time!

~Ariel