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The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC kicks off on Saturday, March 26 with world renowned performers in the historic Warner Theater and a free Family Day at the National Building Museum. The celebration continues through April with: A Blossom Kite Festival at the Washington Monument on April 2, the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks on April 9, the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade at Constitution Avenue between 9th and 15th streets, the Japanese Street Festival at M Street and New Jersey Avenue, SE (Capitol Riverfront), and “Cherry Blast Spotlight events,” including anime, cosplay, and gaming at the Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square on April 16.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival, now in its 104th year, gets huge sponsors and international press. Even the Governor of Tokyo will be paying a visit this year! However, across the United States, other Sakura Matsuri, as they are known in Japanese, are also worthy of a visit. Here is a list of festivals on the US East Coast:
Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Brooklyn, NY)
April 30-May 1, 2016
This festival, with over 60 Japanese cultural events and performances, is now in its 35th year. Considered a New York “rite of spring,” it celebrates the blossoms of more than 200 cherry from 42 Asian species. The first cherry trees were planted after World War I, as a gift from the Japanese government. The two-day event attracts about 30,000 visitors.
Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival (Philadelphia)
April 11-17, 2016
This annual Philadelphia spring festival commemorates a 1926 goodwill gift of 1,600 flowering trees to the city by the country of Japan. The festival showcases more than 45 events, including: an amateur sushi-making contest, tea ceremony, 5K & 10K Cherry Blossom runs, and a gourmet sake dinner. On “Sakura Sunday,” held at the Horticulture Center in Fairmount Park, there will be a “Sushi Samurai” contest, a “Prettiest Pet in Pink” Parade, a Harajuku Fashion Show, an anime and cosplay area, and more. A full schedule of this year’s events can be downloaded here.
Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival (Newark & Belleville, NJ)
April 9-24, 2016
Believe it or not, with 5,000 trees (many replaced after Hurricane Sandy) Branch Brook Park in Newark and Belleville, NJ, just 16 miles West of New York City, is not only home to the largest collection of cherry trees in the Northeastern United States, but it also boasts the most diverse collection of cherry blossom varieties in the world. The trees were a gift from Caroline Bamberger Fuld in 1926. After seeing the impressive blooms in the nation’s capital, she felt New Jersey was equally deserving of such a rosy-colored menagerie, and gifted this, first county park in the US open for public use, with its original 2,050 trees. The park’s Free, 40th annual, cherry blossom festival includes active and family-friendly events, such as: the Cherry Blossom 10K Race, Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race, Family Day and on the final day Bloomfest, featuring Japanese cultural demonstrations, children's activities, live music, a crafter's marketplace, food, and more.
International Cherry Blossom Festival (Macon, Georgia)
March 1-April 3
Macon’s recognition in the Congressional Record, as the “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World,” began on Saturday, November 24, 1973, when local residents planted 500 Yoshino cherry trees, as part of the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission. More trees were planted annually, and by 1982, the trees were such a fixture of the city that the annual festival was born. Events include: a Youth Photography Contest, Food Fair, Nightly Concerts, Amusement Rides, Equestrian Show, Bengal Tiger Encounter, Extreme Pogo Demonstrations, Model Railroad Exhibition, Classic Car “Cruise-in,” Pink Pancake Breakfast, cherry trees for sale, and more. Today, Macon boasts 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees, and the festival is listed as one of the “Top 50 Events” in the USA.
March 26, 2023
