Get ready for pink drinks, extra tourists and floral everything: it’s now officially cherry blossom season in the nation’s capital. D.C.’s favorite flowers are expected to bloom their best March 23-26, the National Park Service announced at a joint press conference with the National Cherry Blossom Festival Feb. 29.
The Yoshino cherry trees — the most common cherry tree species in the District — started to show some of their green buds last week, right on time for the start of meteorological spring. The green buds mark the first of six stages on the way to “peak bloom,” which the National Park Service defines as the days when at least 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms are open.
Native Washingtonians may know that peak bloom used to happen in early April far more frequently than it has in recent years. Based on data going back to 1921, the average peak bloom date is April 4. Over the past 103 years, the average has moved up by about seven days, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, yet another result of climate change.
Average temperatures have risen as fossil fuel emissions trap heat inside our planet, and that causes the blossoms to arrive earlier in the spring. That doesn’t affect just the cherry blossoms — growing seasons across many flowering plants have gotten longer in response to our warming world. As a result, D.C.’s allergy season has added about 20 days since 1970, according to an analysis by Climate Central.
For those District residents not busy sneezing the season away, the National Cherry Blossom Festival has plenty of spring celebrations planned.
The Pink Tie Party, the festival’s signature event, will offer an evening of fashion, food and global flair on March 15.
“We love seeing guests dress up in their finest pink attire and dance the night away at the best spring party in town while enjoying a taste of D.C.” said Diana Mayhew, president and CEO of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
To add to the excitement of the annual event, this year the festive, floral kickoff will be hosted at a new venue — Union Station Washington, D.C. Tickets are $250 and funds raised support the festival’s mission, to ensure events remain primarily free and open to the public.
“We are excited to host this event in a location as iconic as Union Station, a location that embodies the event’s theme of ‘Passport to Spring,’ as it serves as a majestic gateway to Washington, D.C., for travelers and locals alike,” Mayhew explained.
The festival itself officially runs from March 20 through April 14, and includes dozens of events and art exhibitions across the DMV. A few highlights:
- Oxon Run Pinknic & Kite Fly — Valley and Wheeler Rd. SE; March 24 from Noon to 3 p.m. (free)
- Live Mural Painting by D.C. Native Chris Pyrate — Dupont Circle; April 2-6 from Noon to 5 p.m. (free)
- The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade — along Constitution Avenue NW; April 13 from 10 a.m. to Noon. (tickets for seating $25-$40)
While people might associate the floral festivities most closely with the Yoshino trees around the Tidal Basin and the National Mall, there are a number of other spots around the District that make for great cherry blossom viewing. Some Informer favorites:
- Oxon Run Park
- Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens
- Hains Point/East Potomac Park