cherry blossom festival

I don’t know if there’s a tree I love more than the cherry blossom, primarily because they are often my favorite color: pink! Going to the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. seems like it’d be like walking through a dream! That many cherry blossoms together paints such a gorgeous picture.

Apart from the historically beautiful architecture and sight-seeing this city has to offer, it’s never as beautiful as in the springtime when thousands of Yoshino cherry trees are abloom.

This tradition began thanks to the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Yukio Ozaki, Mayor of Tokyo. He gifted the trees to the city of Washington, D.C. in 1912, and every year that gift is celebrated and honored to commemorate the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan.

Back in 1994, the Festival was expanded into becoming a two-week affair to accommodate the diverse activity during the blooming period. Today, more than 1.5 million people visit the nation’s capital to admire the blossoming trees and participate in all of the programs and activities.

If you live in or around the area, lucky you! And here’s a little tip: the best place to catch the explosion of pink is in the area of the Tidal Basin and the National Mall.

The festival runs from March 20-April 13, just in time for spring break!

 

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