Keep it in mind in your agenda and decide to walk camera in hand: After having been canceled in 2020 and having been seen only virtually in 2021 due to the pandemic, this year the in-person celebration of the National Cherry Festival returns. in Bloom (Cherry Blossom).
As if that were not enough, the traditional Cherry Blossom Parade has also been rescheduled, which will take place along ten blocks of Constitution Avenue, in downtown DC.
On Tuesday, at a press conference, the return of these long-awaited and massive activities was announced, in one more step towards the return of normality to the District.
Jeff Reinbold, superintendent of the National Mall and DC Memorial Parks, made the long-awaited announcement in front of the Tidal Basil, where throngs of visitors gather year after year to admire the delicate pink flowers.
The Park Service also released its annual prediction and said that the cherry trees will reach their maximum bloom and splendor between March 22 and 25, a period in which they will shake many residents of the metropolitan area and thousands of tourists who are coming to participate. of that moment.
Peak bloom is the best time to go see and photograph the famous Yoshino cherry blossoms (the most common type in DC, at 70 percent), when they are open at the same time.
The opening day of the celebration will be Sunday the 20th, just as spring begins, at the Warner Theater on 13th Street, in Northwest (NW) DC, and commemorates the relationship between the US and Japan. Precisely, the 2022 festival - which this year will be held between March 20 and April 17 - marks the 110th anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry blossoms made then by the mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, to Washington DC .
Several international music performers and a samurai artist will participate. The event is free, although it is necessary to request a ticket online and tickets are limited.
As for the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, it will take place on Saturday, April 9 on Constitution Avenue, with floats and performances by groups such as Taylor Dane, Freddie Jackson, Tag Team and others. Other events are scheduled, including They include the Blooming Kite Festival, March 26 on the grounds of the Washington Monument, and the Petal Porches competition, where various neighborhoods in DC, Maryland and Virginia decorate their front porches pink.
The cherry trees are also a major economic engine for the city, attracting 1.5 million people during the four weeks of programming.
