Imagine receiving a gift and having that gift last for almost 100 years? I would say that could quite possibly be the best gift ever. The National Cherry Blossom Festival® in Washington, D.C. USA celebrates the union between the United States and Japan. Tokyo made a grand donation of 3,000 Cherry Blossom trees which continue to blossom to this day.
A million people visit Washington D.C. every year to celebrate the beginning of Spring with the beautiful blossoming of these cherry blossoms. We at Art of Backpacking are very excited to be attending this event. We’ll be down there from April 3rd to the 5th for a nice relaxing weekend in Washington, D.C.
© mkosara
The festival itself runs from March 28th-April 12th, 2009. Make sure to check out http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org for the official listing of events.
The biggest event we are looking forward to is the parade itself.
- Celebrity appearances and performances.
- Marching Bands from high schools all across the country.
- Dance and drumming performance teams from Japan and the United States highlight the art of taiko drumming.
- Cherry blossom queens from the US and Japan add royalty to the procession.
- The National Cherry Blossom Festival® All-StarTap Dance Team and Youth Choir entertain with sensational musical numbers for eager audiences.
- Giant balloons, floats, horses, antiquecars, clowns and mascots all add to the merriment on parade morning.”
The Parade begins at 10:00 AM and marches along Constitution Avenue between 7th and 17th Streets, NW.
Some other events that are worth looking into are:
Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival- A Japanese street festival featuring displays of Japanese culture of the past and present.
April 4th, 2009 11:00am
Cost: Free!
National Cherry Blossom Festival Fireworks Show- Nothing like a beautiful fireworks show at the Capitol of the United States.
Apr 11, 2009 8:30pm
Cost: Free!
© DC Chelovek
There will be plenty to do during the National Cherry Blossom Festival®. Most of the events are free, or at least at a very inexpensive price. Most likely, with the weather cooperating, you’ll be able to enjoy the fresh spring air; as in the weather is usually sunny and in the mid 60’s.(Fahrenheit)
If you are in the New York City tri-state area and looking for an inexpensive way to get to Washington, D.C., be sure to check out http://www.tripperbus.com Where we booked 2 people round trip for $20 USD!
Make sure to bring your camera and capture the beauty of the flowers, the scenery of the United States Capital and the rich Japanese culture.
© Mastery of Maps
We hope to see you there!
Teresa is the Co-Founder of ArtofBackpacking; Ms. Art of Backpacking. She is currently studying to be a Journalist at St. John’s University. Upon completion of her University studies, she will travel and see more of this beautiful world. If she is not online reading all the latest travel blogs, you can find her writing and taking pictures around NYC, her hometown.
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