America’s 25 Best Cherry Blossom Events
Best Blooms of the Year
The annual arrival of cherry blossoms in Japan is so much more than just a physical sign of springtime. Cherry blossom festivals there offer people an opportunity to stop and sit under the flowers, imploring them to relax and fully embrace the fact that the beauty of the blossoms above is only fleeting.
But you don’t have to go all the way to Japan to view this rite of spring, because there are plenty of great American cherry blossom festivals that honor the tradition. Cherry blossom festivals in the USA can be found from coast-to-coast, from big cities to small towns and they all have one thing in common: a reverence for the symbolism and the beauty of the cherry blossom. A trip to any of the following cherry blossom festivals is destined to be one of the highlights of your spring.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival
If you could only make it to one blossom festival a year, this should be the one. The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC commemorates the gifting of cherry blossoms to our nation’s capital from the mayor of Tokyo back in 1912 with a series of flower-filled events and activities that coincides with their breathtaking annual bloom at the Tidal Basin. In 2022, the festivities will run through April 17 and include the National Cherry Blossom Parade (April 9) and an all-day arts celebration called Petalpalooza (April 16).
Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival
This festival has been bringing the cultures of the Pacific Northwest and Japan closer together since 1976 and this year the event is back in person on April 8-10 at Seattle Center. Enjoy three days of music, film, games, sake tasting, dance and much more at this celebration of Japanese-American friendship and the changing of the seasons.
Buffalo Cherry Blossoms Festival
Head to the Japanese Garden at Buffalo’s Delaware Park on April 30-May 1 to be swept away into a world of pink. This festival will be celebrating its ninth anniversary in 2022 with special concerts, blossom-focused events and row boating, which will be available on the park’s beautiful lake starting May 1.
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Cherry Blossom
Arguably the Big Apple’s best collection of cherry blossoms, the trees at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are once again set to put on a show this spring. While we await word if their formal annual festival will return in 2023, head to the BBG this year to walk under the canopy of pink blossoms and celebrate the return of warmer weather. Use this handy tracker to get live updates on the blooming.
Randall’s Island Cherry Blossom Festival
This annual get-together celebrates the spring beauty on display at NYC’s Randall’s Island Park. The festivities this year will take place on May 1 and will feature face painting, kite flying and paper flower making, all in addition to the wonder of simply just admiring the park’s blossoms.
Shofuso Cherry Blossom Festival
Set in Fairmount Park’s pretty forest of cherry blossom trees—the majority of which were planted in 1926 as a gift from Japan—this annual festival is a star on Philly’s annual social calendar. This year, the festival has been re-imagined to showcase the intersection of Japanese and African-American culture and will feature three nights of concerts, taiko drumming and illuminated cherry blossom viewing.
The Blooms at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
This Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia celebrates the arrival of the cherry blossoms each year with its beloved Cherry Tree Walk, which guides guests past a serene lake and under a blanket of soft pink cherry blossoms and other pretty blooms. The best part is that the trees have been planted in a special way which ensures that there will always be something remarkable blooming when you visit.
Boston’s Cherry Blossom Blooms
Boston’s signature event—the Brookline Cherry Blossom Festival—is taking 2022 off, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other places to sit under the sakura. Sitting atop the list is Back Bay’s Charles River Esplanade Park which will spend most of the spring painted in a beautiful soft pink hue.
The Utah Capitol Blooms
Each year in late March and April, the paths surrounding the stately Utah State Capitol building are filled with a stunning array of Yoshino cherry blossoms, signaling the arrival of spring in Salt Lake City. Like many others on the list, the trees starring in this display were a gift from the Japanese government and are beloved by local residents.
Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival
This event is back in person in 2022 and will be better than ever. Essex County Branch Brook Park in Newark boasts the largest and most varied collection of cherry blossoms in the nation (over 5,000 trees in 28 varieties if you’re keeping score at home) and from April 2-10 they will be celebrated through a series of events like fun races, educational talks, Japanese cultural displays and live music.
Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival
Music City’s blossom bash is back and this year April 9 will be the day to make for Nashville’s Public Square, which will once again host this special festival. The day will begin with a guided walk of the city’s cherry blossom trees and then be followed up with great food, cultural activities and fun events like Pups in Pink Parade and Sumo Suit Wrestling.
Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival
The West Coast’s largest cherry blossom festival is back under the blooms in San Francisco’s Japantown. Taking place the weekends of April 9-10 & April 16-17, the event will be celebrating its 55th edition in 2022 and will once again showcase a series of cultural events, delectable food offerings and fun for the whole family.
Dallas Blooms
This annual flower fiesta at the Dallas Arboretum is dedicated to all spring blooms, with plenty of attention paid to the magical cherry blossom. In 2022, the event runs through April 10th and will feature hundreds of Japanese cherry trees in addition to thousands of azaleas and half-a-million other spring blooms all displayed in a special “Birds of Paradise” theme, which includes several unique peacock topiaries.
West Covina Cherry Blossom Festival
Head to the Plaza West Covina in Southern California on April 23 for a day full of cultural exchange and delicious food. During the festival, you’ll be able to watch authentic Japanese dance & taiko drum performances, listen to traditional music and shop for a variety of arts & crafts.
Spring at the Portland Japanese Garden
Year-round, this serene space is a place for Portlanders to relax and breathe in the fresh air, and each spring it blossoms into a hub of cherry blossom bliss. Stop by to view the Weeping and Yoshino cherry trees and then stop at the Umami Cafe for some warming Japanese tea and light snacks.
The Spring Blooms at Descano Gardens
Each year, this oasis of tranquility on the outskirts of Los Angeles comes alive with a variety of blooms, including cherry blossoms. Other great flowers you can expect to find around that time are tulips and lilacs. Descano Gardens also typically offers spring bloom walks where you can learn all about the garden and its beautiful seasonal bounty.
The Blooms of Traverse City
You didn’t think that America’s Cherry Capital was going to be left out of the blossom fun, did you? Nope, the cherry fields around Traverse City come alive each spring (usually in May) with soft pink and pinkish-white flowers, making the perfect backdrop for a blossom-themed road trip or cycling tour.
St. Louis’ Cherry Blossoms
If you find yourself in the Gateway City in April, you’re in for a treat as the Missouri Botanical Garden is bound to be home to scores of ravishing cherry trees. Striking cherry blossoms can also be found downtown at Kiener Plaza, which looks especially stunning when framing the Old Courthouse and Gateway Arch.
The Athens Ohio Blossoms
A gift from the Chubu University in Japan to the University of Ohio in Athens back in 1979, the blooming cherry trees at Ohio Univerisity in Athens have come to symbolize spring in this cool college town. Be like the students and enjoy a picnic or impromptu performance under the blossoms to properly enjoy this special spring tradition.
Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival
This annual rite of spring in southwest Missouri has picked up quite a reputation in recent years for its unique mix of events. In addition to a handful of pretty cherry trees, people flock here each spring for a one-of-a-kind three-day festival (April 28-30 in 2022) that features an eclectic collection of celebrities, thinkers, humanitarians and presidential descendants all gathering to usher in spring in a truly unique fashion. There will also be live music and inductions into the town’s Missouri Walk of Fame.
Balboa Park Cherry Blossom Festival
Mark your calendars now for next March as each year, San Diego’s jewel of an urban park comes alive with cherry blossoms and the Japanese spirit of Hanami—the art of appreciating their fleeting beauty. Special Japanese sake and beer are often available at the event, which is one of the most highly anticipated for flower lovers on the West Coast.
Celebrate the Cherry Blossoms at Wooster Square
Head to New Haven, Connecticut for one of the nation’s most cherished cherry blossom parties. Held in April each year (April 24 in 2022), the festival features food trucks, live music and plenty of pretty pink flowers, a combination that has entrenched it into the fabric of the Wooster Square neighborhood.
Ault Park’s Weeping Blossoms
Each year in March and April, Cincinnati’s gorgeous Ault Park becomes a wonderland of weeping cherry blossom trees. The trees were a gift to the city in the 1930s and since then they have been meticulously cared for by park staff and the Japan America Society. Stop by and you may be surprised at how moving the sight of the blossoms can be—especially at sunset.
Cherry Blossom Day
Another one for next year, every year on the third Saturday in March, the capital city of the state throws one big party dedicated to the blossoms and it’s called Cherry Blossom Day. Walk under the blooms near the capitol building and breath in the fleeting beauty while contemplating the impact Japanese culture has had on the state of Oregon.
International Cherry Blossom Festival
Last but not least, a final one for the “it’s never too early to start planning for next year” department, Macon, Georgia’s International Cherry Blossom Festival is regarded as the best in the South. Visit this charming town for nearly two full weeks of cherry blossom-filled fun in late March. Events include nightly concerts, balloon flights, carnival rides, food truck gatherings and more blossoms than you can squeeze into one selfie.