Just looking at the official website for the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. is a happy experience with its beautiful photos of trees in bloom and pink blossom illustrations (even the bright pink cookies notification banner is nice!)—attending the festival itself must be a joyful, uplifting experience. It’s an intense celebration of Spring and its wonders, and celebrates friendship between our country and Japan. The festival honors the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees by Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo; First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees of the 3,000. The U.S. reciprocated in 1915, sending flowering dogwood trees to Japan. The Washington, D.C., orchard was augmented in 1965 by the gift of another 3,800 Yoshino trees from Japan. The festival will be filled with the beautiful vision of pale pink and white blossoms, as well as their light aromatic almond scent.
National Cherry Blossom Festival 2025 Dates
This year’s peak bloom is predicted to be March 28-31. The festival itself spans from March 20 to April 13. You can peek in via the BloomCam to see how things are progressing. Right now, things are looking pretty wintry and spare.
Best places to see the cherry blossoms
The hands-down best place is the Tidal Basin, according to the website cherryblossomwatch.com. The Tidal Basin famously provides a glorious view and is free to enter. It’s right next to the National Mall. The stretch along the East Potomac Park shoreline is especially good. If you have access to a bike or are just an excellent walker, another good spot is the Hains Point Loop Trail in East Potomac Park along the waterfront, according to the Department of the Interior website. It’s just over 4 miles and lets you see a variety of cherry trees. The department also recommends Memorial Loop, a 2.7-mile trail that leads you past landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and lesser-known places like Constitution Gardens where the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial is (plus cherry blossom viewing). Other suggestions: the U.S. National Arboretum, Anacostia Park, Dumbarton Oaks, Stanton Park and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
National Cherry Blossom Festival events
We’ve laid them out here for you, but here are a few highlights:
Pink Tie Party on March 14: Wear pink or florals and have a fun night with cocktails and bites.
Opening Ceremony on March 22: Performances from international artists, commemorating the occasion of the gift of trees in 1912.
Stumpy’s Petals & Paddles Race at the Tidal Basin on March 20: An annual race that helps support the Trust for the National Mall’s Adopt a Cherry Tree campaign to fund care for the landmark trees.
Blossom Kite Festival on March 29: Kites and blossoms go together beautifully.
Petalpalooza on April 5: Outdoor festival with music and art at the Capitol Riverfront, followed by fireworks.
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on April 12: It’s a springtime parade with lots of pink, lots of floats and giant helium balloons.
Getting to the National Cherry Blossom Festival
There are a ton of options. If you’re driving, book your parking spot in advance with SpotHero (the rates will be up to 50 percent less than just driving up and trying). For public transportation, use the Metrorail or Metrobus; the buses and trains will be cherry blossom wrapped and the SmarTrip cards will have a cherry blossom design. You can also do a hop-on, hop-off Big Bus Tour with commentary or the D.C. Circulator Bus; the latter is just $1 a ride. Ride your bike or rent one at a very reasonable rate through Capital Bikeshare, or make a festive day of it and get to the festival via water taxi or a City Cruise.
Tips for visiting the festival
If you want to avoid crowds (well, as much as possible), try weekdays rather than weekends. Other slower times can be early morning or late afternoon/early evening. Overcast days may keep others home and are actually more ideal for photography. Your dog is welcome but has to be leashed 100 percent of the time and can’t relieve him or herself in the Reflecting Pool or the World War II Memorial pool (believe it or not, the National Park Service says this has been an issue!). If you photograph people with cherry blossoms, suggest that they wear pastel colors; darker shades will provide an unpleasant contrast.