The National Cherry Blossom Festival (NCBF) is just weeks away and in addition to those Tidal Basin blooms we all love, a range of exciting cultural and entertainment events are coming to DowntownDC this spring as part of the 2018 festival.
DowntownDC will be the destination of choice for more than 10 festival events this year surrounding the nation’s greatest springtime celebration, which runs from March 17-April 15 this year.
First, mark your calendar for Cherry Blossom Yoga at Freedom Plaza (Pennsylvania Avenue & 13th Street) on April 5. The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) with ProYoga Corporate Wellness and Aetna are excited to kick off the BID’s new fitness series, Sculpt & Shape Thursdays with this free, outdoor yoga class. Come early for your chance to get a free yoga mat!
Signature events and fun family celebrations in DowntownDC include the Pink Tie Party Fundraiser at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on March 15, the Opening Ceremony at the Warner Theatre on March 25, the SAAM Cherry Blossom Celebration at the Smithsonian American Art Museum on March 24, the Blossom Kite Festival on the grounds of the Washington Monument March 31 and the signature National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade® presented by Events DC on April 14.
The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Constitution Avenue and runs from 7th to 17th streets, from the National Archives to the Washington Monument. This year’s grand marshal is Carla Hall from ABC’s The Chew. Celebrity performances and appearances will include Arrested Development and country singer Ty Herndon.
DowntownDC is excited to welcome back the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival to Pennsylvania Avenue on April 14. Sakura Matsuri is the largest one-day celebration of Japanese culture in the U.S. and will feature more than 80 cultural groups, arts vendors and food booths. The street festival will begin immediately following the parade.
Here are the festival events happening in DowntownDC:
- Pink Tie Party Fundraiser: March 15 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
- Take Five Meditation: One Giant Meditation: March 25 at the National Building Museum
- SAAM Cherry Blossom Celebration: March 25 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Opening Ceremony: March 24 at the Warner Theatre
- Growing Community: March 31 at the National Building Museum
- Taste of Spring Cherry Blossom Food Crawl: March 31 in the Penn Quarter and Chinatown neighborhoods
- Art at the Center: April 4 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center
- Cherry Blossom Yoga: April 5 at Freedom Plaza
- The Willard Rose Romp: April 7 at The Willard InterContinental Hotel
- Gallery Spotlight: Natural Women: April 8 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts
- Newseum Nights: In Bloom: April 13 at the Newseum
- National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade: April 14 on Constitution Avenue
- Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival: April 14 on Pennsylvania Avenue
This year, the National Park Service estimates cherry blossom blooms will reach their peak March 17-20. The peak bloom period is when NPS expects 70 percent of blossoms to open on the Yoshino cherry trees that surround the Tidal Basin.
The nation’s greatest springtime celebration annually begins the first day of spring. The Festival is where D.C., our region and nation unite to welcome spring and celebrate the 106th anniversary of Tokyo’s gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the city.
The DowntownDC BID is proud to be a host sponsor of the festival.
For a complete list of events and more information on the National Cherry Blossom Festival, visit www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org