Members of the Tarble Arts Center will travel to the Japan House and Arboretum at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana campus to participate in Matsuri, a Japanese festival.

This is the third annual Japanese festival taking place at the Japan House. It is set from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

“It made perfect sense to go to Japan House,” said Rehema Barber, the director and chief curator at the Tarble Arts Center.

The trip ties into the Tarble exhibition on display from Aug. 26 to Oct. 29 of Japanese prints by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, she said.

Although the deadline to travel with the Tarble group has passed, people who are interested in going to the festival itself can. The event is free and food and drinks will be available for purchase.

Barber said the Tarble group will have sushi for lunch then a private tea ceremony at the Japan House.

After those activities, the festival will start.

Japanese food and drinks, drumming performances by Ho Etsu Taiko, martial arts demonstrations, fashion shows and calligraphy are all a part of the festival’s schedule.

Ho Etsu Taiko is a group of Chicago-based musicians who put their own spin on Japanese drumming.

Barber said Tarble has planned trips farther away in the past, to places such as Indianapolis.

The group went to the Indianapolis Art Museum, did multiple tours and wrapped up their day with a dinner, she said, so these trips usually last longer than the trip to the Japan House.

Barber said she is excited for the festival and to have Tarble members and the people going on the trip to experience some Japanese culture.

Kennedy Nolen can be reached at 581-2812 [email protected].