The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event that celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. This year’s festival will be MARCH 20-APRIL 13! This year the events are back in-person.
The predicted peak blooming period of the cherry blossoms for this year is MARCH 28-31.
Here are some of the highlights:
Blossom Kite Festival – Saturday, March 29, 2025
Washington Monument Grounds (Smithsonian Metro)
10 am-4 pm
Petalpalooza Festival & Fireworks – Saturday, April 5, 2025
Capitol Riverfront Navy Yard Metro. Official fireworks will be visible from Anacostia Park
1-9 pm, Fireworks around 8:30 pm
Cherry Blossom Parade – Saturday, April 12, 2025
Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW
10 am-12:30 pm
The one-mile length of the Parade route is accessible from multiple Metro stations. Spectators who are standing along the free & accessible portions of the route from 9th to 15th Streets should utilize the following Metro stops:
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- To stand on the north side of Constitution Avenue – Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Green/Yellow lines), Federal Triangle (Blue/Orange/Silver lines) or Metro Center (Blue/Orange/Red/Silver lines)
- To stand on the south side of Constitution Avenue – L’Enfant Plaza (Blue/Green/Orange/Silver/Yellow lines) or Smithsonian (Blue/Orange lines)
There are many more great events, visit the festival website for more information.
Helpful links:
Cherry Blossom Festival Website
National Park Service Bloom Watch
Metro Website (use the trip planner feature on this website to find the metro options, taking the metro is much better than driving for the festival events)
Photo & Video: National Cherry Blossom Festival