Spring doesn't start in D.C. until the cherry blossoms bloom. First celebrated in 1935, the festival celebrates the change of seasons and the beauty of the city's iconic flowers, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival is the most anticipated event in the District. The trees that ring the Tidal Basin were planted in 1912 as a gift from the people of Japan to those of the United States as a sign of goodwill and inter-country friendship.
Cherry blossom season is akin to the holiday season in D.C.; an annual festival with a packed calendar commemorates it. The festival itself includes lots of fun activities, like the beloved Blossom Kite Festival (March 29) near the Washington Monument and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade (April 12). Don't forget the vibrant Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival (April 12-13), which is one of the country's largest celebrations of Japanese culture.