• DC Discounts
  • Events
  • News
  • Hottest Tickets in Town

Visit Washington, DC!

Hotel and travel tips for visiting Washington, DC

  • Home
  • Visitor Information
    • Traveling to Washington DC
    • Getting Around Washington DC
    • Parking in Washington DC
    • Guided Tours of Washington DC
    • Washington DC News, Media, and Weather
    • Shopping in Washington DC
    • Restaurants in Washington DC
  • Sightseeing
    • Monuments & Memorials
    • Museums and Galleries
    • Other Washington DC Attractions
    • Parks
    • Day Trips
    • Take the Kids
    • Annual Events
  • Hotels
    • Featured Hotels
    • Hotels Near the Mall
    • Hotel Package Deals
    • Group Accommodations
    • Washington DC Hotels
    • Virginia Hotels
    • Maryland Hotels
  • Tour Books
  • Event Tickets
    • Kennedy Center Tickets
    • Capital One Arena Tickets
    • Warner Theatre Tickets
    • Eagle Bank Arena Tickets
    • Wolf Trap Tickets
    • Royal Farms Arena Tickets
    • The Theater at MGM National Harbor
    • FedEx Field Tickets
    • Washington Capitals Tickets
    • Washington Nationals Tickets
    • Washington Redskins Tickets
    • Washington Wizards Tickets
    • DC United Tickets
    • All Washington, DC Events
  • Tour Deals
  • Top 10
You are here: Home / Washington DC Sightseeing / Washington DC Annual Events / Cherry Blossom Festival

Cherry Blossom Festival

Washington DC cherry blossom festival

Other towns rely on robins or melting snow to tell them when spring has truly arrived. Washington, D.C. has cherry blossoms. Each year at the end of March or the beginning of April, the whole of the Tidal Basin gets a pink-and-white coating as the thousands of cherry trees ringing the water all bloom at once. Hundreds of thousands of people come to see the spectacle.

The trees first arrived at the Tidal Basin in 1912 as a gift from the people of Japan to the people of the United States. It’s only fitting, then, that the two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival has a distinctly Japanese flavor. The Japanese embassy shows Japanese movies and displays traditional art. The National Sushi Society holds a sake and sushi tasting. The Smithsonian sponsors a kite festival on the mall. It all peaks in a massive Japanese street fair featuring martial arts demonstrations, origami, koto players and rock bands, food from 20 different restaurants, sake, beer, and much more. There’s even a parade running down Constitution Avenue.

The Cherry Blossom Festival offers plenty of non-culturally-aligned events too. There are paddleboat rides, bike rides, and photo safaris; river cruises and guided tours; a soccer tournament, a rugby tournament, and a regatta. In short, the festival is Washington, D.C.’s excuse to get back outdoors after a long cold winter.

Travel Tips

The 2023 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC is scheduled for March 20 through April 16, with the Parade on Saturday, April 15. Dates and schedule of events are subject to change.

For more information, visit https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

Other Information

Bloom Schedule from the National Park Service

Cherry Blossom BloomCam

Photos of the Washington DC Cherry Blossoms

Washington DC cherry blossom festival
washington dc cherry blossoms
washington dc cherry blossoms

washington dc cherry blossoms

Travel Information

Cherry Blossom Festival
Washington, DC

Hours: Various.

Admission: Most events are free.

Parking: For current information on parking, and getting around during the Cherry Blossom Festival, visit: www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

Metrorail: Blue and Orange Line stops for Smithsonian.

Nearby Attractions
Lincoln Memorial
FDR Memorial
Jefferson Memorial

Suggested Tours
Old Town Trolley Tour
Big Bus Tours

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Promote Your Event

Know of an event that would interest tourists in D.C.? We want to hear about it. Drop us a note and we'll help you get the word out.
Copyright 2019 Big Fish Design. All Rights Reserved. The District | Advertising Rates | Privacy Policy | Contact Us