What to Expect at the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival Washington, DC
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival Washington, DC gets over a million tourists each year. Here’s a Washingtonian’s review of what to expect viewing the cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in DC.
Growing up in Florida, you don’t really have the opportunity to experience the different seasons of the year. It is pretty much summertime for eight months followed by a two-month fifty-degree winter.
My favorite aspect of living in Washington, D.C. has been observing the leaves changing colors in the fall and the trees blossoming in the spring. Unfortunately, there is a period smacked in the middle, called winter, where the temperature can drop below ten with a wind chill that turns you into hermit, refusing to leave your apartment. But nonetheless, the fall and spring make it worthwhile!
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Washington, D.C.’s Annual Cherry Blossom Festival
Out of all of the seasons, the spring has been my favorite by far. Spring in D.C. is a special time of the year; drawing in over one million tourists from around the world to witness the Cherry Blossoms bloom and attend the yearly festival. It is a very particular process because the Cherry Blossoms will bloom and disappear within a matter of days. This year the Cherry Blossom Festival was held two weekends ago on April 11th.
The meaning behind the Cherry Blossom Festival extends back over 100 years and signifies a bond between the United States and Japan. In 1912 the mayor of Tokyo gifted 3,000 cherry trees to the city of Washington, D.C. to commemorate friendship. Then First Lady Helen Herron Taft held a ceremony with the wife of the Japanese ambassador and planted the first two cherry trees on the north shore of the Tidal Basin. It is now tradition for the first lady to take part in the Festival – including current First Lady Michelle Obama, who planted a tree in West Potomac Park in 2012.
I must warn you that if big crowds are not your cup of tea then attending the Cherry Blossom Festival, or even visiting D.C. around this time of the year, may not be for you.
On the weekend of the festival I trekked down to the Tidal Basin to capture some pictures for the blog. Even after waiting until the end of the festival before heading down, I still encountered a ginormous crowd throughout the National Mall and Tidal Basin. It was so packed that after standing still for five minutes, trying to cross a bridge, the crowd began to venture onto the road to get across.
The view made up for all the hassle. Cherry Blossoms lined the banks of the entire Tidal Basin, creating an enchanting backdrop against the D.C. monuments. The white and pink trees cast a spectacular view that is unrivaled to anything that I have ever experienced.
My favorite sight was on the south side of the basin, next to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, looking out over the water at the Washington Monument.
For any of you who enjoy the changing of seasons, and don’t mind a crowd once in a while, I highly recommend for you to travel to Washington, D.C. in early April for the Cherry Blossom Festival. It is an amazing site that is definitely worth the while!
Recommended Reading for Planning Your Trip to Washington, DC
- Here’s 45 Offbeat things to do in Washington, DC. If you’ve ever wondered what Washingtonians do for fun in their free time, this is it!
- For my fellow foodies, you should know that brunching is a serious thing in the district. Some could say it’s a weekend sport. Here are my top 5 Washington, D.C. brunches!
- While we’re on the subject of food, read all about this incredible Washington DC food tour I took and wrote about. Then, go book your own here.
- And, if art is your thing, here are the Best Museums in Washington, D.C.
Shaine was born and raised in Fort Myers, Florida. After completing his MBA, he spent over a year in Washington D.C. working in corporate finance. He now calls NYC his home, where you’ll find him eating his way through the city, or running through Central Park (to burn off all those calories!).
