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It looks like the famous Washington DC cherry blossoms are about to start blooming this weekend! Peak bloom is forecasted to be from March 22 – 25, 2022. These beautiful trees around the Tidal Basin area are an iconic symbol of spring. This is the 110th anniversary of the gifting of these trees from Japan.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is back in person this year, running from March 20 – April 17, 2022. There will be performances, foods, and activities for all ages. Key events include the Cherry Blossom Parade on April 9th and Petalpalooza on April 16th, a family friendly day of performances and activities culminating in fireworks over the Capital Riverfront.
- Opening Ceremony: Sunday, March 20, 2022
- Kite Festival: Saturday, March 26, 2022
- Parade: Saturday, April 9, 2022
- Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival: Saturday, April 9 – Sunday, April 10, 2022
- PetalPalooza: Saturday, April 16, 2022
The entire festival season season has been known to draw millions of people to the city in past years, and peak bloom week and the parade weekend are especially busy, so plan your trip accordingly if you plan to go.
Here are some resources to help plan your trip:
- National Cherry Blossom Festival official site: https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/
- Cherry Festival events: https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/all-events/
- Cherry Festival partner hotels:
https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/hotels/ - Cherry Blossom maps: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/maps.htm
- Touring the cherry blossoms (info on many topics): https://freetoursbyfoot.com/cherry-blossom-festival-guide/
- Cherry blossom visitors guide (info on many topics):
https://cherryblossomwatch.com/visitor-information/ - Washington DC information:
https://washington.org/ - NPS National Mall & Memorials:
https://www.nps.gov/nama/index.htm - NPS Jefferson Memorial (along the Tidal Basin):
https://www.nps.gov/thje/index.htm - Transportation around DC: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/directions.htm
If you can’t travel to Washington DC, there are several virtual ways for you to join in the fun.
- #Bloomcam – a 24/7, live, real-time view of the cherry trees lining the Tidal Basin: https://www.bloomcam.org/
- Opening Ceremony Livestream:
https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/opening-ceremony/ - Events that have a virtual option:
https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/all-events/virtual-option-available/all/ - Events that are virtual:
https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/all-events/virtual/all/ - National Park Service virtual activities: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/go-virtual.htm
If you would like to chat about planning a trip to Washington DC for the festival or any other time, feel free to contact me. We’ve been to DC area and the Smithsonian museums many times.
Adventures By Anne 