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Pink is in the air as the city gears up to welcome thousands of visitors to this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival®, DC’s signature springtime event. The two-week celebration will bloom Saturday, March 28 through Sunday, April 12, showcasing the city’s natural beauty and cultural offerings while reducing thoughts of Father Winter.

More than a million revelers turn out annually for the occasion, which continues to grow and dazzle, gaining increased global prestige and community support. The mostly free events will once again feature citywide activities filled with cultural demonstrations, performances, art exhibits, fireworks, international cuisine, athletic competitions and, of course, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade®, taking place on Saturday, April 4—about a week before the festivities end.

Don’t miss the pre-festival fundraiser—the third annual Pink Tie Party cocktail bash and silent auction on Wednesday, March 11, at The Liaison Capitol Hill, an Affinia Hotel (415 New Jersey Avenue). Celebrity chef Art Smith of Art and Soul will be part of a sneak preview of Washington’s top chefs and their “Cherry Picks,” cherry-inspired dishes and cocktails. Tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds from this event will help underwrite Festival programs. For more information and to purchase tickets, email ncbf@downtowndc.org, or visit www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/pinktie.

Besides marking DC’s rite of spring, the explosion of cherry blossoms has become a fun and affordable tradition for visitors, who help celebrate Japan’s original gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the people of DC. Located along the Tidal Basin, the trees were bestowed in 1912.