Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington D.C.

My husband and I were scheduled to attend The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D. C. this weekend, but unfortunately we had to stay home to attend a wake for a niece's father-in-law. A friend's daughter lives in DC, however, and was kind enough to share the photos she took of the festival with me, and I thought you might also enjoy seeing them.

"The National Cherry Blossom Festival annually commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, honoring the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and celebrating the continued close relationship between our two cultures.

A view of the Washington Monument through the cherry trees.

In a simple ceremony on March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. In 1915, the United States Government reciprocated with a gift of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan. A group of American school children reenacted the initial planting in 1927 and the first "festival” was held in 1935, sponsored by civic groups in the Nation’s Capital.

First Lady Lady Bird Johnson accepted 3,800 more trees in 1965. In 1981, the cycle of giving came full circle. Japanese horticulturists were given cuttings from our trees to replace some cherry trees in Japan which had been destroyed in a flood.

The Festival was expanded to two weeks in 1994 to accommodate a diverse activity schedule during the trees’ blooming. Today, more than a million people visit Washington, DC each year to admire the blossoming cherry trees and attend events that herald the beginning of spring in the Nation’s Capital.

The Festival looks forward to celebrating the centennial anniversary of the gift of trees in 2012 and is planning spectacular events to mark this historic and special occasion."

source

Everyone in DC looks forward to the first cherry blossoms heralding the arrival of Spring in the city. Many people head down to the Tidal Basin on their lunch break to escape the office and enjoy the view. Although my son attended his undergraduate college years in Washington DC we were never able to coordinate a visit during the festival period, as each year peek time changes due to weather conditions.

This year the festival was scheduled from March 28 to April 12, and the peak bloom date forecast was April 1.

As you can see the trees were very much in bloom this past weekend. In the photo above you can see how the trees rim the entire Tidal Basin.

The Cherry Blossom Festival begins with an opening ceremony and a Smithsonian Kite Festival. There is sushi tasting, Japanese street festivals, a 10-mile run, fireworks, and daily cultural performances at the Tidal Basin stage.

There are also blossoms elsewhere in the city, such as at the National Arboretum. It has 2,000 cherry tree species, most of which were created by arboretum researchers which aren't found at the Tidal Basin. The arboretum offers a self-guided tour of the blossoms, which may be done on foot or by car.

Some views of the Jefferson Memorial amongst the cherry trees.

Inside the Jefferson memorial looking up.

The Smithsonian Museum Castle building.

Washington DC is a wonderful place to visit any time of the year, but it's especially beautiful during cherry blossom time!

Thank you Lauren for sharing all your wonderful photos with us!

Edited to add:

I'm sure by now everyone has heard of the terrible earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy. We were relieved to know that no one in my husband's family live in that area, but we feel so sad for those that lost loved ones and their homes. Ciao Chow Linda did a post about the town of L'Aquila, one nearest the epicenter that was severely damaged, as she visited that town last fall. She gives links to reputable organizations where you can donate money if you wish to help. Please click on her name to go to that blog post. Thank you!