The 40th Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival invites the public to participate in the return of the Festival’s Poster Contest. The winning entry will earn a $500 grand prize, and the artist’s design will be used in posters, souvenir T-shirts and commemorative booklet covers to help promote Northern California’s largest Japanese American community festival.

The design should emphasize the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival’s 40th Anniversary, and reflect the spirit of the Matsuri (festival) season.

The design could include the dates of the Festival (April 14 and 15, 21 and 22), with emphasis on the Queen Program on April 14 and the Grand Parade on Sunday, April 22 beginning at 1 p.m. The design should also include space for Festival sponsors to be added. If these dates are not included in the design, there should be space allotted for such information.

The contest is free and open to the public.

Artwork will not be returned without a postage-paid self-addressed stamped envelope. The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival reserves the right to use the design in any and all future promotions.

All entries are due by 16 February 2007 at 5 p.m. at the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, c/o 1759 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California 94115. Entries can also be e-mailed in PDF or EPS format, at 300 DPI or higher, to info@nccbf.org.

The Poster Contest winner will be determined shortly thereafter by a panel of judges.

For more information or an application form, contact (415) 563-2313 or visit the Festival’s Website at www.nccbf.org.