Mukai Farm & Garden’s fourth annual Haiku Festival once again brings the beauty of haiku, an ancient style of Japanese poetry, to Vashon Island. Previous festivals have drawn hundreds of entries and fans from countries all over the world!
Mukai Haiku Festival 2023 is a juried poetry competition for people of all ages. Contestants can submit as many haiku as they like, but only the first three will be considered for the contest. Each haiku will be divided into one of five categories: Nature, Social Justice, Heritage, Reflections, and Young Poets. Prizes will be awarded in each category, as well as for “People’s Choice.” Only original, unpublished haiku will be considered for awards.
The entry deadline is midnight on March 31st.
Contest winners will be announced on Sunday, April 9th.
Haiku comes in many forms, but, for this festival, we are looking for traditional three-line poems with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern, that capture “simply what is happening in this place at this moment,” said Matsuo Basho, Japan’s most famous poet.
Mukai will print and display a selection of individually calligraphed haiku on the grounds of Mukai Farm & Garden throughout the month of April. We encourage visitors to Mukai Farm & Garden to vote for their favorite haiku, aka the “People’s Choice” award, online or at the kiosk.
No entry fee. Donations welcome.
