Travel,  United States,  Washington DC

Cherry Blossom Festival

April 5, 2019 /

It’s that time of year folks! It’s Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC!

Every year around this time, people from all over come to DC to see the coveted cherry trees blooming around the tidal basin and other areas. This also sparks a festival with various events in the city. The trees were planted beginning in 1912, but new trees have been planted regularly since then.

Peak bloom was Monday, April 1st! This was no April Fool’s joke, because I brought my puppy and walked around the basin on Monday and indeed the trees are blooming! Peak bloom is supposed to be when at least 70% of the trees are in bloom. The benefit of going when it is peak bloom is that of course it is beautiful to see the majority of cherry trees with beautiful blooming buds. The setback is definitely the crowds – the area is jam-packed with people!

It requires patience and good timing to get a good picture despite full crowds.  Wednesday, Reda and I attempted to take some engagement photos.  We were relatively successful, but it took creative angles and multiple shots to get photos without random people walking through.  Here are a couple of failed attempts of tourist-less pictures:

I’d recommend visiting very early morning to avoid crowds during the peak bloom time if you want really nice photos.  Otherwise – creativity and patience!  Or for technology-savvy individuals, there is always photoshop.  A couple of slightly more successful attempts:

The trees are still beautiful both before and after peak bloom – so if you haven’t already visited, you still should! There are also cherry trees in other parts of the city such as Anacostia Park and Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown. The trees in East Potomac Park generally bloom a little later than those at the tidal basin because a majority of them are a different breed of cherry tree.

Each year, the Cherry Blossom Festival includes various events to celebrate! Last weekend was the Kite Festival on the Washington Monument grounds. This weekend there is Petalpalooza at the Wharf in SE DC. I haven’t previously attended many events outside of visiting the trees themselves, but as a new DC resident I am excited to take advantage!

 

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