The 58th Cherry Blossom Festival contestant search is in full swing and The Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce will partner with The Wedding Café to host weekly information sessions every Thursday throughout the month of July.

These new informal sessions will provide interested candidates with an opportunity to meet and greet with past Cherry Blossom Festival queens and court members and ask questions, as well as pick up and turn in applications. Contestant applications are available at www.cbfhawaii.com and will be accepted until Aug. 1.
 
Sessions dates are July 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Wedding Cafe at Ward Warehouse.
 
Applicants must have at least 50 percent Japanese ancestry, be between the ages of 19 and 26 years old, single, a U.S. citizen and Hawai‘i resident. A completed registration form, proof of Japanese ancestry through a birth certificate and a $30 application fee is required. 
 
Sponsored by the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, the annual Cherry Blossom Festival is the longest, continually running festival in Hawai‘i and celebrates Japanese culture and heritage.
 
In January 2010, the 58th Cherry Blossom Festival queen contestants will be announced to the public. In the months leading up to the festival, contestants will take classes in Japanese culture and heritage, develop their public speaking and leadership skills, and participate in community service projects.  After being crowned, the Cherry Blossom Festival queen and court are actively involved in the community, and promote and perpetuate Japanese-American culture by participating in cultural events across the state.
 
Additionally, for the ninth year in a row, one of the contestants will be awarded the Violet Niimi Scholarship – receiving $5,000 to go toward continuing her education. The Violet Niimi Scholarship – established in honor of the very first Cherry Blossom Festival queen – is given to the contestant who demonstrates exemplary community service involvement.
 
For more information about the Cherry Blossom Festival, visit www.cbfhawaii.com or call 949-2255.