The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., is approaching.
One of the largest celebrations of the iconic cherry blossom trees in the U.S., the festival is just over a week away and often draws hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Here’s what to expect from this year’s event.
Key dates
March 14 — The Pink Tie Party kicks off the festival’s activities at Union Station with a pink-laden party featuring food and cocktails from local area restaurants, music, and a charity auction. Tickets are selling for around $250.
March 20 to April 13 — The festival opens and runs for 24 days.
March 22 — The festival holds its opening ceremony. It features live performances from Japanese tap dancer Kazunori Kumagai, singer-songwriter Ka-Na, traditional Japanese puppet company Seiwa Bunraku, and Hawaiian drumming group Maui Taiko. It is hosted by 7News Anchor Victoria Sanchez and actor Yoshi Amao.
March 29 — Blossom Kite Festival is held. A gathering of kite-fliers come to the Washington Monument to fly a variety of kites from between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. that day.
March 28 to 31 — The National Park Service predicts this is when the cherry blossoms will be in peak bloom, when at least 70% of the trees have bloomed. This is often the busiest time to visit the festival and is likely the best time for photo ops with the trees.
April 5 — Petalpalooza is held at the Capitol Riverfront near the Navy Yard. The celebration will feature live music, activities, and a fireworks show at 8:30 p.m. The event runs from 1 to 9 p.m.
April 12 — The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade is held with grand marshals Mickey and Minnie Mouse along with Jeopardy host Ken Jennings and the Little Mermaid. The parade route runs down Constitution Avenue NW and features floats, bands, and entertainment from Deejay Young, who portrayed Aaron Burr in Hamilton on Broadway. Other performers include The Voice winner Asher HaVon and Cameo.
April 14 — The festival closes, and a sense of normalcy returns to the Tidal Basin area.
Where should I go?
The festival is held in Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin, where the cherry blossoms are wrapped around the area.
The Tidal Basin welcome area and ANA stage are located at West Basin Drive SW. The ANA stage will feature live performances throughout the festival.
When is the best time to come?
Peak bloom is forecasted from March 28 to 31, but those will also likely be the busiest times to come to the festival. Other dates may showcase the flowers not in peak bloom but offer more space and room for views.
As for time of day, early morning or late afternoon is ideal for running into the fewest people.
What impact will it have on travel?
The festival draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, causing traffic jams around the Tidal Basin. Expect many delays around the area until the end of the festival.
Events such as the Cherry Blossom Parade have also closed roads in the city before during the duration of the event.
Travel into the Washington, D.C., area may also be more expensive during the festival due to the increased number of visitors in the area.
Where else in the DMV area can I see them?
East Potomac Park and the National Arboretum have cherry blossom trees, with the latter having more than 70 varieties.
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Oxon Run Park has around 200 trees, and Cherry Hill in Georgetown also contains the beautiful flowers.
In Maryland, you can visit Bethesda’s Kenwood neighborhood to see more than 1,200 cherry blossom trees.