How to Enjoy the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., is held every spring to commemorate the gift of Japanese cherry trees to the city from the mayor of Tokyo. The original cherry trees were donated in 1912 to celebrate the friendship between the Japanese and American peoples.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Stroll around the tidal basins to see the cherry blossoms in their full glory. This is perhaps the most beautiful sight Washington, D.C., has to offer.
2. Fly a kite on the grounds of the Washington Monument at the Smithsonian's Annual Kite Festival, held at the start of the Cherry Blossom Festival. There are competitions for design, performance and exhibitions of of many amazing kites.
3. Take in one of the special exhibits at the Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art or the Japanese Embassy. Other venues such as Union Station, the National Geographic Museum, the National Building Museum and the Bureau of Engraving & Printing host events ranging from origami demonstrations to sake tasting.
4. Participate in the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. Other sporting events include a golf tournament, a regatta and a rugby tournament.
5. Oooh and aaaah at the spectacular fireworks show. Prior to the show there will be several hours of musical entertainment put on in Southwest Waterfront Park by military and other local music groups.
6. Find your spot along Constitution avenue early for parade viewing. The parade, held on the last Saturday of the festival, kicks off at 10 a.m., but you wouldn't want anyone blocking your view of the Taiko drummers, Cherry Blossom Queens and the other marchers. If you want to guarantee a superior view, you can purchase a grandstand ticket for about $15.
7. Stick around after the parade for Sakura Matsuri, the Japanese street festival billed as the largest one-day exhibition of Japanese culture in the United States. This festival features three performing arts stages, a martial arts stage, numerous food vendors (noodles galore!) a Japanese beer garden, exhibitions of both traditional and popular Japanese culture and vendors selling a wide range of Japanese items.

Tips & Warnings

• As the festival is planned well in advance, sometimes the cherry blossoms are not actually in bloom at festival time.