National Cherry Blossom Festival

Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. The gift and annual celebration honor the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and the continued close relationship between the two countries.

Festival events include the Opening Ceremony, the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. There are over 150 daily cultural performances by local, national and international entertainers, sports competitions, and so much more. Many Festival events are FREE and open to the public.

Peak bloom is when 70% of the iconic cherry blossoms open on the Yoshino cherry trees around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. The full blooming period lasts from several days to up to two weeks, depending on weather conditions. The blossoms have come and gone in 2023 but it’s never too early to start planning for 2024.

When will peak bloom dates be available for 2024?
This highly anticipated period is predicted by the National Park Service at the Festival kick-off press conference in early March of each year. While the blooming period is difficult to predict more than ten days in advance, but the Festival has so much to offer throughout a City in Bloom no matter when the blossoms bloom.