We’ve uploaded some of our favorite photos from last year’s Cinco De Mayo celebration to show you what an exciting mix of Mexican music and dance the annual Sister Cities event is like.

Visit our Arts Fiesta photo gallery here

The mariachis didn’t waste much time eating dinner, before they unpacked their musical instruments and began to perform for the party.

While in Springfield, the group will perform at many area elementary schools, at Drury University, and for the big event of Arts Fiesta!, a Cinco De Mayo Celebration of Mexican art, culture, and music. Arts Fiesta! is this Friday night, May 4th in Founder’s Park from 6-9 p.m.

The mariachis will also perform in a marching parade through down Walnut Street at ArtsFest on Saturday, May 5 at 11:30 a.m., proceeding the Artsfest Showwagon Stage for an 30-minute performance starting at 12:30 p.m.

ArtsFiesta!
Friday, May 4, 2012
6-9 p.m. in Founders Park
Jefferson at Water St. in Downtown Springfield

Other performances include visits to many public schools and universities in Springfield including: Rountree, Cowden, Immaculate Conception, Weller, Jeffries, Boyd, and Robberson Elementary Schools, along with Drury University, and a noon on Saturday performance at ArtsFest on Walnut Street.

ArtsFiesta is a Cinco De Mayo celebration of Mexican art, culture, and music.

The 2012 event will feature Mariachi Viva Xalisco, with special guest Sheila Rios, from Springfield’s Sister City, Tlaquepaque, Mexico. Dance performances will be performed by Grupo Libertad, and there will also be children’s activities and concessions.

A full evening of music and fun!

Adults $5
Kids 10 and under Free!

Download an ArtsFiesta Poster here

Sister Cities members also get in free.

One of our many ongoing exchanges our sister city of Isesaki, Japan is music! Each year SSCA selects a local performing group to represent us at the Isesaki Summer Festival.

SSCA only gives a small amount to this group to help with the purchase of plane tickets. The majority of the financial responsibility of the purchase of the tickets falls to the individuals in the group.

This year SSCA has asked the Denzil and Jonathan Band to represent us. Keep in mind we want to send musical talent, but also “nice guys” who will be positive representatives of our community.

Our commitment as an organization is to host several fundraising opportunities for this group. It is a fun way for friends of SSCA to get together and help…. Just listen to music and celebrate Sister Cities!

Click here to download poster

A hands-on area featuring kite-building, origami, and other Japanese crafts will be held in the Botanical Center inside the park during the festival. Sister Cities has ordered new, bigger kits for kite building at the Cherry Blossom Kite Festival, and volunteers from SSCA, Parkboard, and Kickapoo Japanese Language Club will help to kids to build and decorate their own kites to fly at the festival.

Admission to the festival is free and the kite-building kits will be available for $3.

Everyone is also invited to bring their own kites to fly during the festival. It’s also a great opportunity to see unique kites and kite-flying skills.

The festival also marks the season opening for the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, located in Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park. The stroll garden will be open 9 a.m. to dusk and admission is free the day of the festival.

The festival is a partnership between the Springfield Sister Cities Association, the Missouri State University Elementary Education Program, Friends of the Garden, Kickapoo High School Japanese Language Club and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.

For more information, call the Springfield Sister Cities Association at 417-864-1341.

March 31st, 2012
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Nathanael Greene Park / Close Park
2400 S. Scenic

Children’s hands-on activities will take place in the Botanical Center!
Free admission to the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden!
Children’s kite building kits $3
For more information call 417-864-1341

Special thanks to the Kickapoo High School Japanese Club, Missouri State University Education Department students, and Friends of the Garden for partnering with us so we can have lots of activities for the kids!

Springfield Sister Cities Association partners with the Springfield –Greene County Park Board to bring you the 8th Annual Cherry Blossom Kite Festival — a free event for families and children, so come and celebrate with us!

Download the poster here

Please join us as we look forward to the new year. We’ll have short reports from our Sister Cities of Isesaki, Japan and Tlaquepaque, Mexico, and featured musical guests, the Denzil and Jonathan Band.

Add to that a full evening of beautiful auction items, door prizes, hors d’oeuvres, and cash bar, and you’ve got a evening of friendship and fun!

Below are images of just a few of our Silent Auction items. We been amazed by the caliber of art and artists donating work this year!

Special thanks to the following artists that have donated original work:

Sarah Perkins
Pam RuBert
Jennifer Falter
Keith Ekstam
Carla Stine
Stephanie Cramer
Ric Buchanan
Mika Logan
Hueping Chin
Paco Padilla
Rolan Logan
Jane Troup

And thank you SSCA Board and friends for donating many other artworks and fun items!

pin by Mika Logan

enameled bowl by Sarah Perkins

This is a free event to all current 2012 members! (you can join or update your membership at the door.) No RSVP is required, but please contact Cindy Jobe at 864-1341 or cjobe@springfieldmo.gov if you are interested in reserving a table.

This is a free event to all current (paid 2012) members!

What a great idea for date night!

Friday, March 9th, 6:30 p.m. at the Savoy Ballroom at 244 Commercial St.

No RSVP is required, but please contact Cindy Jobe at 864-1341 or cjobe@springfieldmo.gov if you are interested in reserving a table.

Downoad printable announcement here: 2012 Annual Meeting announcement

Traditional Irish Ballads on January 13, 2012 from 6:30 – 8:30 by Kellswater