Washington DC's cherry blossoms reached peak bloom on March 21. They are now done for the year. You can find the most updates from the 2022 bloom here.
- McClellan, Ann (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Hardcover Book
- Nakahara, Mari (Author)
- Hardcover Book
- McClellan, Ann (Author)
The 2022 National Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled to run from March 20 to April 17.
Here are announced dates for some of the key events:
- Opening Ceremony: Sunday, March 20, 2022
- Kite Festival: Saturday, March 26, 2022
- Parade: Saturday, April 9, 2022
- Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival: Saturday, April 9 – Sunday, April 10, 2022
- PetalPalooza: Saturday, April 16, 2022
You can find the master list of events here.
About the National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is typically scheduled around the average peak bloom date. The hope is that the blossoms will come out at some point during the festival, but there’s no guarantee of that and because the festival has gotten much longer in recent years–running about three weeks–it’s unlikely they’ll be out for the duration simply because it would be very unusual for the bloom to last that long.
In 2014 and 2015 the peak bloom fell right at the end of the festival. In 2016 and 2017, with the early bloom, it fell right at the beginning of the festival–they even moved the opening of the 2017 and 2018 festivals at the last minute to try to accommodate an expected early bloom.
In recent years the festival has been extended to run across several weeks, which increases the chances that the peak bloom will fall within the festival dates, but it's never guaranteed.
Tidal Basin Welcome Area
Each year, the Tidal Basin's main parking lot, on Maine Ave SW (next to the paddle boats), is closed off to parking and converted into the Tidal Basin Welcome Area. It features information and activity tents from the National Park Service and National Cherry Blossom Festival, a performance stage, food tents, and dozens of portajohns.
The area is open from 10 am to 6 pm with most of the activities and performances geared toward afternoons. Entry is free.
Where to Stay for DC's Cherry Blossom Festival
I've put together some suggestions for where to stay here.
What is the National Cherry Blossom Festival?
The Festival is run by the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and features a number of events, exhibits, and performances related to the cherry blossoms and U.S.-Japanese relations. Among the events and activities are a parade, fireworks, concerts, and special exhibits that take their theme from the cherry blossoms. You can find more information at the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s official website. The Cherry Blossom Watch site is not affiliated with the festival.r
Local Charity Spotlight
Looking to give back? Here's one of the local charities (or with local links) that is well worth contributing to.
Cape Ivy
Cape Ivy provides warmth, comfort and support to children who have chronic or critical illnesses and their families.
Cape Ivy provides fleece ponchos to children in the hospital because robes, sweaters and jackets don’t work well with IV lines and other medical equipment. Cape Ivy is a resource for families experiencing long-term hospitalization of children.
I've had the pleasure of personally seeing a small glimpse of the impact this organization. They're wonderful people doing wonderful work.
You can donate directly on their website and learn more about their mission and impact.
