Is it spring yet? You’ll certainly know the answer when the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the nation’s greatest springtime celebration, springs into action on Wednesday, March 20, and continues for 26 glorious days in Downtown and throughout the D.C. area through Sunday, April 14!
Following on the coattails of last year’s spectacular centennial celebration, the 2013 Festival won’t disappoint. The lineup of mostly free, open-to-the-public events will feature contemporary arts and culture, cuisine, natural beauty and a tremendous amount of community spirit, all of which will have you racing back for more: daily programming provided by more than 40 participating organizations won’t let up until the Festival’s pink, fun-filled barrage officially ends.
So, what’s in store? Several signature events, starting with the Pink Tie Party presented by Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and ESCADA Cherry in the Air on Wednesday, March 20, at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel (999 Ninth Street). Celebrity chef Lorena Garcia, a season four competitor on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, will host this annual fundraiser. The Opening Ceremony gets underway at the Warner Theatre (513 13th Street) on Saturday, March 23, followed by Family Days, presented with the National Building Museum (401 F Street) and sponsored by Safeway and The Washington Examiner, on March 23 and Sunday, March 24.
Not to be missed: the Blossom Kite Festival on the National Mall on Saturday, March 30; the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival produced in partnership with the Washington Waterfront Association and Hoffman-Madison Waterfront and presented by Safeway and The Washington Examiner on Saturday, April 6; and, of course, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade and the Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival, produced by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC. Both will take place on Saturday, April 13, on Constitution Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, respectively. The Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival is America’s largest one-day exhibition of Japanese culture.
And guess what? This is only the short, major attractions list! There’s much more, including boat tours and cruises and the City in Bloom campaign, presented by Capital One Bank. The campaign will visually unite and energize the region with bright blossom decals and pink and blossom lighting on buildings and in the skyline, and indoor and outdoor signage. The city welcomes more than a million people to the Festival and proudly recognizes the gift of cherry trees from Tokyo to DC more than 100 years ago.
More tantalizing details will be unveiled at a kickoff press conference on Monday, March 4, at the Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Avenue). Meanwhile, the Festival is seeking volunteers as well as dynamic small groups and individuals to perform at the Tidal Basin, the focal point of the Festival, near the National Mall. Festive musicians, dancers and roving performers must submit applications by Friday, March 1.
For more information about events, volunteer opportunities and performance participation, visit the National Cherry Blossom Festival website.