The Sakura Project – Spring Gathering to Honour Loved Ones & Ancestors at Spencer Smith Park, Burlington
The Sakura Project
A Spring Gathering to Honour Loved Ones and Ancestors
Spencer Smith Park, Burlington
Saturday, May 2, 2026
10:30 – 11:15 AM
Spencer Smith Park (by the cherry trees along the lake)
Each spring, the cherry blossoms bloom along the lake at Spencer Smith Park. For a brief moment, the trees stand in fullness — luminous, delicate, and unmistakably present.
Many visit during this peak bloom to capture photographs and share in its beauty. That moment is indeed remarkable. Yet the Sakura Project also recognizes something deeper: beauty is not confined to its height. There is equal dignity in the fading — in petals drifting to the ground, in branches returning to stillness, and in the quiet continuity of seasonal change.
The Sakura Project is a simple, reflective gathering inspired by the beauty and brevity of cherry blossoms.
It is an opportunity to pause together and honour those in our lives who have passed — including parents, partners, friends, mentors, and ancestors whose presence continues to shape us.
There is no formal program.
No speeches.
No expectations.
Only presence.
You are welcome to:
- Arrive quietly
- Stay briefly or remain for the full gathering
- Bring a photo or small object
- Carry a memory in your heart
Some may come to remember a specific loved one.
Others may reflect on family lineage and ancestry.
Some may simply be acknowledging the season of life they are currently walking through.
All are welcome.
If enough participants feel called to move together, we may share a gentle danceFLOW qigong / tai chi-inspired group experience — slow, grounding, and accessible to all ages and abilities.
Participation is entirely optional.
There is no performance.
No pressure.
Only breath, gentle movement, and the lake beside us.
This is not a ceremony.
It is not a religious event.
It is a shared pause.
A collective breath.
A quiet acknowledgment that life unfolds in cycles — bloom, fullness, release, renewal.
As the blossoms fall, we are reminded that beauty does not disappear when it changes form. It continues in memory, in influence, and in the lives that move forward.
When the blossoms are gone, we part — carrying the experience with us until we meet again the following spring.
Hosted by Robert & Beverley, danceScape
If this gathering resonates with you, you are warmly welcome to join us.
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