July 7 (Sunday)
Sunset Village Kids Festa – Tanabata Festival–

On Tanabata day, July 7, the Sunset Village Creation Promotion Council and the Childcare Support Center teamed up to hold the Sunset Village Kids Festa – Tanabata Festival – in the Wind Hall at Gokase Winery👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🎋✨

True to the Wind Hall’s name, the wind blew strongly, but the sky was perfectly clear and blazing sunny—a day with no better weather🥵☀️

That didn’t bother anyone: the children were full of energy💪✨
A water play area was set up at the venue! Kids blasted water pistols in the pool, sent all kinds of bubbles into the air, and played with water-balloon yo-yos… the fun continued from morning until the event ended, always packed and lively🔫👏

On stage, children moved their bodies to music in a rhythmics session, sang together at a mini concert, and listened intently to picture-book readings and a panel theater. A special collaboration with the local wind ensemble, G Music Band, brought an electrifying hula dance that thrilled the crowd🥳🙌

There were also hands-on experiences with wind and percussion instruments and the koto, and the children were ecstatic to touch live instruments they rarely get to try🎺🎶

Vendors lined up, including BLANCO Ice Cream from nearby Yamatomachi, offering drinks and treats for kids and adults and fun lottery games. The place was bustling🌭🥤🍧

Upstairs in the cool Wine Hall, Midori Kakuda’s photo exhibition and photo session were held, capturing many lovely and new scenes of Gokase in beautiful shots📸✨

On the same floor, a nursing room and a rest area provided considerate support for visitors with small children🍼💕

In the afternoon, everyone wrote wishes on tanzaku and tied them to the bamboo. The once bare bamboo became brightly decorated, creating a very atmospheric scene😌 The children’s heartfelt, unique wishes felt cleansing to the heart🥹✨

The venue was arranged with parents’ comfort in mind, and the children, who had played to their hearts’ content and ended up soaked from head to toe, left wearing satisfied smiles😊🥰👏

Places and opportunities where children can laugh and play freely are precious😳✨ It was a perfect day, and I hope many more wonderful events like this will be held in the future👍👍👍