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Cherry Blossom Festival
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Cherry Blossom Festival
PLAN YOUR VISIT

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of hundreds of events which occur within National Mall and Memorial Parks each year. Play a part in how you and future generations will experience and enjoy America's Treasures. Visit the National Mall Plan website today.

The 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled for March 28-April 12. The festival's National Cherry Blossom Parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 4, and proceed along Constitution Avenue between 7th and 17th Streets NW.

The festival is one of the more heavily attended annual events in Washington, D.C., with hundreds of thousands of visitors expected. Please consult the "Directions" and "Things to Know" sections above for useful information.

The famous trees, a gift from Japan in 1912, signal the coming of spring with an abundance of life and color in a sea of pale pink and white petals surrounding the Thomas Jefferson Memorial along the Tidal Basin, throughout East Potomac Park and Hains Point, and across the Washington Monument Grounds.

Cherry Tree Plaque  

Did You Know?
The Japanese Cherry Trees were presented as a gift from Japan to the United States. The 1912 planting ceremony for the trees included First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Vicountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador.
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Last Updated: March 26, 2009 at 22:05 EST