Tag: cherry blossom

Where to View & Celebrate Cherry Blossom Trees in NYC 2018

Posted on by Lucy Pacius
Close up of petals on the cherry trees at Sakura Park
Close up of petals on the cherry trees

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. is an annual event that commemorates the gift of the 3,020 cherry blossom trees from Japan. The month long celebration includes fireworks, a parade, Japanese street festival, cherry blossom branded merchandise and of course spectators walking along the Tidal Basin to view the pink and white blossoms. It’s an amazing occurrence to partake in, but you don’t have to travel all way to Japan or Washington D.C. to view the blooming cherry blossoms.

Sakura Park

In 1912, about 2,000 cherry trees were delivered to New York City from Japan. According to the NYC Dept of Parks and Rec, “the cherry trees were presented as a gift from the Committee of Japanese Residents of NY as part of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in 1909.” Unfortunately, the first shipment of trees were lost at sea. Washington D.C. also ran into shipment issues getting the trees delivered all the way from Japan to the east coast of the US. The new shipment of trees were planted around the Riverside Park area and an area that was renamed to Sakura Park (sakura is a Japanese word for cherry blossom or cherry tree).

Sakura Park cherry trees
Sakura Park cherry trees

 

image of Japanese stone lantern at Sakura Park
Japanese stone lantern

There is also another gift from Japan in view at the park. The traditional stone Japanese lantern was presented to the citizens of New York City from the citizens of Tokyo, Japan in 1960. This gift of international friendship was to commemorate the Tokyo-NYC sister city inauguration. The stone Japanese lantern is on display in front of the International House. Most of the trees in the park are already in bloom, so enjoy them while you can.

 

Randall’s Island

This Saturday, Randall’s Island is having their free Cherry Blossom Festival. It starts at noon and will feature four hours of celebrating spring, cherry blossoms and Japanese culture. If you’ve never heard of Randall’s Island before, you wouldn’t be the first. It’s located on the East River between East Harlem and Queens, and sits below the South Bronx. You can enjoy the cherry blossoms blooming along the western shoreline and the pedestrian trails on the Island. Spend your Saturday afternoon enjoying kite flying, trying on a kimono, making paper flower, hearing musical performances and more. Be sure to bring a blanket and sunscreen as it will be nice and sunny tomorrow.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has a 2-day Sakura Matsuri (Japanese cherry blossom festival) event happening next weekend (April 28 & 29). The cost for a ticket is $30 for individuals, $25 for students & seniors, and free for BBG members. The event starts from 10am to 6pm. The event will celebrate Japanese traditional and contemporary culture, and will include taiko drummers, martial arts masters, a flute concert, tea ceremonies, a flea market, musical performances, bonsai exhibits and many other events. If you can’t make it to the event, you can still view the cherry trees within the garden. The admission is $15 for adults, and their hours are 8am to 6pm from Tuesdays thru Friday and 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sunday. There are currently 11 species of cherry blossoms in full bloom right now, and visitors can walk along the Cherry Walk or the Cherry Esplanade to view the pink and white petals in all their glory.

Central Park & Washington Park

In Central Park, you can visit Cherry Hill aptly named for the Yoshino cherry trees planted there. In the past, Cherry Hill’s Victorian fountain was used as a watering trough for the horse-drawn carriages. If you’ve missed the blooming blossoms, you can still enjoy the view of The Lake, walk to the Ramble and other notable attractions in Central Park.

At Washington Square Park, you might still be able to see the pink petals of the Sargent variety of cherry blossoms and the double flowering Kanzan trees as well as the yellow leaves of the Cornelian cherry trees. You can also view irises, crocuses, winter aconite and the daffodils planted as a living memorial to September 11th.

Where ever you choose to experience “Hanami” (the leisurely enjoyment and viewing of the transient cherry blossoms and other flowers), don’t wait too long. Once in full bloom, the cherry blossoms only last for about a week. This may be extended with cool weather. How and where will you experience hanami? Leave a comment below.

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2018 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C.

Posted on by Lucy Pacius

Last week, I had the chance to experience a weekend during the National Cherry Blossom Festival (NCBF) in Washington D.C. The city was a buzz and adorned in pink petals and gorgeous, warm weather. The cherry blossoms were at peak bloom on April 5th, which means that about 70% of the Yoshino cherry trees were in full bloom around the Tidal Basin. There are varieties of cherry blossom trees all over the world include New Zealand, Germany and Brazil; however, people travel from near and far to see the blossoms bloom in D.C.

Cherry blossoms trees along the Tidal Basin
Cherry blossoms trees along the Tidal Basin

 

For those who don’t know, the NCBF celebrates the arrival of the Japanese cherry trees from Tokyo. Back in 1912, Tokyo mayor Yukio Ozaki gifted over 3,000 cherry trees to the city of Washington D.C. as a sign of the growing friendship between the two nations. The first shipment of 2,000 trees had arrived diseased in 1910. Both countries got together and coordinated the next shipment. This included help from chemist Dr. Jokichi, First Lady Helen Taft,  board member Eliza Scidmore of the National Geographic Society and Dr. David Fairchild from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. First Lady Taft and Viscountess Chinda (wife of the Japanese ambassador) planted the first two trees along the north bank of the Tidal Basin. Japan also gifted about 2,500 tree to New York City, but that’s a story for another time.

National Cherry Blossom Festival Grand Marshal Carla Hall
National Cherry Blossom Festival Grand Marshal Carla Hall

This year the festival lasted for 4 weeks and kicked off with a Pink Tie Party fundraiser for the NCBF, Inc. non-profit. The other events include the Sakura Dream digital art experience, CineMatsuri, Cherry Blossom Cruises, a daytime Rosé social, the annual Cherry Blossom Parade and Sakura Matsuri Japanese street festival. The parade ran down Constitution Ave starting in front of the National Archives building to 15th street. There were fun floats, large balloons of notable characters, Carla Hall as the Parade Grand Marshal and performances by Silentó, Billy Gilman, Summer the “Sing into Spring” winner, taiko drummers & dancers from Tamagawa University, and high school marching bands from around the country. Who doesn’t love a great marching band performance! The Japanese street festival started right after the parade and for $10 you could view even more performances, purchase Japanese goods, try on kimonos, learn how to write your name in Japanese characters, and even enjoy some delicious  Japanese cuisine. No surprise that the mochi ice cream went quickly on that sunny day.

Float of the Cherry Blossom Queens and Princesses
Float of the Cherry Blossom Queens, Princesses, and Goodwill Ambassador

 

If you want to experience the National Cherry Blossom Festival, but aren’t sure when to go, you can visit the Cherry Blossom Watch or the Bloom Watch page on the NCBF site. You can research when the peak blooms happened within the past few years, and read updates on the current status of the cherry trees. The Tidal Basin is a great place to view the blossoms and tour a ton of monuments along the way.  However, it’s not the only area that the cherry trees have been planted.  You can view some in front of the White House, in Lafayette Square, around the Washington Monument and the US Capitol.

White House South Portico view, Washington D.C.
White House – South Portico view, Washington D.C.

Don’t forget to grab some cherry blossom souvenirs and try some limited edition National Cherry Blossom Farmhouse Cherry Ale beer before you leave. What’s you favorite part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival?

Interesting Fact: “Sakura” translates to cherry blossom and “Matsuri” translates to festival in Japanese.

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