National Cherry Blossom Festival
It's that time of year again...when Spring is in the air (somewhat) and clusters of cotton candy hued flowers being to appear. It's time for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Even if you have lived here for years or are a newcomer, I recommend that everyone come out to enjoy the flowers and the other events planned during the Festival. The Festival is a city-wide, two week event that runs from March 28 - April 13. Most of the events are free but I would advise checking the website to ensure what events are free and which events have a fee.
Why are the cherry blossoms important? The 2008 Festival commemorates the 96th Anniversary of the gift of 3,000 Yoshino cherry trees in 1912 by the Mayor of Tokyo to the city of Washington as a symbol of national friendship between the United States and Japan. Currently, there are 3,750 cherry blossom trees on 16 National Park Service lands. The blossoms are located on 3 National Park Service locations: the Tibal Basin, East Potomac Park, and on the Washington Monument Grounds.
The opening ceremonies and family day will occur on Saturday, March 29. There are always massive crowds during the first weekend so be prepared. There will be performances from local high school marching bands, dance performances from community organizations, and numerous demonstrations -- you can even learn how to create your own mini cherry blossom tree. There is also a dinner cruise scheduled for Wednesday, April 9 where you can enjoy the monuments by moonlight alongside Japanese dignataries.
For information on all of the events of the Festival, please visit: www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org