Ken Miller Recreation Center

[Review #29]
Please note this is a duplicate review under «Japanese Cultural Festival»… I posted the photos for Ken Miller Recreation Center earlier in the day & postponed writing my review. I didn’t realize there’s a dedicated festival category: Japanese Cultural Festival. I’m posting here to accompany my photos.
The Torrance Sister City Association is holding the 42^nd Annual Bunka-​Sai Japanese Cultural Festival this weekend: Saturday, 04÷26÷14 — Sunday, 04÷27÷14 from 11:00 AM — 5:00 PM. It’s a free event filled with performances, exhibits, demonstrations, & workshops: Japanese dance & music, martial arts (kendo, judo, naginata, & aikido), flower arranging, calligraphy, tea ceremony; Japanese foods (available for purchase); children’s games (like tic-​tac-​toe toss, fishing, etc.), & arts & crafts. This event has free admission & parking with hourly raffles (think it’s $ 1.00/ticket). It’s a fundraiser for the TSCA Student Cultural Exchange Program, which sends 8 students + 1 adult to Kashiwa for 3 weeks in July; in August, TSCA will play host to Kashiwa students & an adult for 2 home-​stays.
Check out the 3D art stall, by an extremely talented but modest lady, Michiko Miyazaki, on the way to the patio (where the children’s games are held & the tantalizing scents of Japanese BBQ & other yummy foods are prepared); see photos from Ken Miller Recreation Center (I had to beg a photo of the artist so I can show everyone who created these awesome artworks).
My daughter had fun coloring a koi fish at the arts & crafts booth. While standing aside shyly watching some of the teenage volunteers toss bean bags for the tic-​tac-​toe toss (I think this game is $ 1.00, which I didn’t have cash on me but my husband was running to the car to grab his wallet because H eyed on a water yo-​yo earlier), one girl approached H & said she can give a couple of tosses. She hid behind my legs but the girl waited patiently with her hand outstretched with the bags… & H finally walked over to do a couple of tosses. Her 1^st fell slightly short, so everyone (including myself) encouraged her to throw harder, & she «winged» the 2^nd toss & it went f-​l-​y-​i-​n-​g over & almost beaned one of the guys. :-O He exclaimed: «Wow… she has a strong arm!» What H was really interested in was the fishing game (where everyone was a winner); she «fished & caught» a pencil sharpener (something she needed for her color pencils), a sticker sheet, & a small bottle of bubbles. Very generous for a $ 1.00 game. =) And of course, H also got the water yo-​yo (also $ 1.00, it’s a thick-​walled balloon filled with water tied to a rubber band… the kids love it… it’s color, cute, & hey! it’s a balloon).
Come & support this cultural event… & enjoy the great food, interesting arts & crafts booths, & entertaining performances/​demonstrations while you’re at it.

There are so many community events that happen here! Many of the senior craft fairs and outings — I can’t believe it’s not listed yet… so this is the place to check out for community events — seniors in the Torrance area — find this place and see what great events it has to offer you!

Man, I’ve heard so much about this place in the past years… but mostly from old ladies and grandmas! (don’t even ask me how i know so many grandmas. and no, they are not MY grandmas either. they’re random grandmas who are
there.) anyway, i would happen to catch some old ladies talking about this annual Fall Bazaar held at the rec center, and they would always say how interesting and fun it was to visit all the different vendors and shop there with there husbands or their friends. Well, since i’m a member of this community service club, i had to actually volunteer at the Fall Bazaar. (I sat at the front information desk and handed out directories to people. fun stuff.)
bottom line, this place is NOT for teenagers like me. they ARE however, the perfect place for oldies to hang out. Most of the vendors sell home made things such as scarves, soaps, knit clothes, knit hats, knit sweaters, (i saw a lot of «knit» things. haha), and other trinkets and ornaments. If you LIKE those types of things, or you want to get a gift for your mom or grandma or someone like that, then GO! but other than that, GO TO THE NEAREST MALL TO SHOP INSTEAD. They don’t even have any food vendors here. (there is coffee, though)