Q: Which restaurants have cherry blossom dishes or cocktails?

Each year, the festival runs a program called Cherry Picks , which promotes restaurants using cherries as ingredients in dishes and cocktails, in partnership with the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington . In 2024, participants range from Michelin Bib Gourmands ( Oyamel , China Chilcano ) to buzzy critic faves ( Bar Spero , Imperfecto ) to fast-casual ( Rasa , Luke’s Lobster ) to reliable spots for a cocktail ( Morris American Bar , Casta’s Rum Bar ). There’s a list of restaurants sorted by neighborhood on the festival website; look for more to be added as the festival draws closer.

Question 1

What’s the best time to come to the festival?

Accepted Answer

The festival’s prime time is known as “peak bloom,” when the Yoshino cherry trees around the Tidal Basin, in West Potomac Park and on the Washington Monument grounds are at their most colorful and alluring. But that burst of color typically lasts a week to 10 days, while the festival stretches to more than three weeks. The dilemma for festival organizers is that peak bloom changes every year, due to weather, making it tough to coordinate events and blooming times months in advance. Instead, the festival hedges its bets by scheduling a different “signature event” each weekend, alongside numerous smaller (but still compelling) happenings. Here are the key dates to know; more information on these events can be found at nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. March 23-April 7: The National Park Service’s Tidal Basin Welcome Area, located on West Basin Drive near the Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials, kicks off the festival. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through April 7, with more than 100 music and dance performances on the ANA Stage, tours led by park rangers, food and souvenir stands, activities for kids, and even guided evening “lantern walks.” (Bring your own flashlight.) March 23: The annual opening ceremony concert at the Warner Theatre includes Japanese pop singer Naotaro Moriyama, a dance piece choreographed by Jo Kanamori of Noism Company Niigata and a performance by composer Kaoru Watanabe. Tickets are sold out, but the performance will be live-streamed on the Cherry Blossom Festival’s YouTube page from 5 to 6:30 p.m. March 29: Cherry Night features DJs, cocktails and cherry-blossom-themed fun at D.C. restaurants and bars. RSVPs are required. (See below for more information.) March 30: The Blossom Kite Festival brings a dazzling array of kites and master kite fliers to the Washington Monument grounds between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Grab a kite kit to decorate before you fly, and pair the kites with Sakura Taiko Fest, a day of traditional Japanese drumming at the Sylvan Theater. April 6: Live music, art installations, hands-on family activities and a beer garden are highlights of the annual Petalpalooza along the Capitol Riverfront near the Navy Yard. The event runs from 1 to 9 p.m. and is capped with a fireworks display at 8:30. April 13: Mickey and Minnie Mouse are the grand marshals of the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, which fills Constitution Avenue NW with marching bands, floats and entertainment between 10 a.m. and noon. The Sugarhill Gang and “American Idol” finalist Colin Strough are among the performers. Viewing the parade from the sidewalk is free, though grandstand tickets are available for purchase. April 13-14: The Sakura Matsuri Japanese street festival expanded from one day to two in 2022 to celebrate its 60th anniversary, and the Japan-America Society of Washington D.C. is keeping the expanded format for at least another year. The festival includes multiple stages on Pennsylvania Avenue for music and martial arts performances, a traditional marketplace, food and drink vendors, pavilions dedicated to topics such as technology and the regions of Japan, and hands-on cultural exhibits.

Question 2

When will the blossoms really be in bloom?

Accepted Answer

The National Park Service defines “peak bloom” as the period when at least 70 percent of the Tidal Basin’s cherry trees have blossomed, creating fluffy clouds of flowers perfect for photos and paintings. Due to a mild winter, the Park Service says the trees never entered their dormant stage, leading to a predicted peak bloom of March 23 to 26, while warning that dates could shift depending on the weather. The Post’s Capital Weather Gang, which makes its projections independently, forecast that the peak will be between March 19 and 23. Either way, when the peak bloom arrives, the flowers usually last around a week, though weather — heavy rains, a freeze or mild temperatures — can lengthen or shorten that viewing period. Over the past 30 years, the average peak bloom has been March 31, according to the Capital Weather Gang.

Question 3

When is the best time to see the blossoms in person?

Accepted Answer

The narrow paths around the trees at the Tidal Basin can become extremely crowded during and just after peak bloom — and basically any weekend throughout the festival. If you want to see the blossoms in all their glory — or have a shot at getting your new profile photo without hordes of people in the background — the best times to visit are early in the morning, when joggers seem to outnumber tourists, and in late-afternoon twilight. Just be warned that footpaths can be trickier to navigate during high tide, when they’re inundated with water, especially around the Roosevelt Memorial. Check tide times on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website.

Question 4

What’s the best way to get to the festival?

Accepted Answer

The Tidal Basin is about a half mile from the Smithsonian Metro Station’s Independence Avenue exit. It can be crowded on weekends, and you may wish to walk an extra 10 minutes from L’Enfant Plaza or Federal Triangle. The D.C. Circulator bus, which makes a constant loop of Union Station, the National Mall and the memorials, has multiple stops near the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial and costs $1. Capital Bikeshare operates three stations around the Tidal Basin: one on East Basin Drive SW, just south of the Jefferson Memorial; one on Ohio Drive SW near the welcome center; and one on Independence Avenue near the John Paul Jones Memorial. There are other docks a short walk away, including at the Lincoln Memorial, near the Washington Monument and on Hains Point. Parking is extremely limited, with some spaces near the memorials reserved for disabled access. The closest parking is at the metered lot at the Tidal Basin boathouse, which has a three-hour time limit. There are multiple parking garages at the Wharf, on the Southwest Waterfront, which is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Tidal Basin.

Question 5

What else is there to do at the Tidal Basin besides look at flowering trees?

Accepted Answer

The National Park Service runs a welcome area off Ohio Drive SW, between the Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials. It features activities for children, including the chance to earn a “Bloomin’ Junior Ranger badge” with games and a scavenger hunt, and a stage with live music and entertainment during the peak bloom period. This is also where rangers host daily talks and tours. New this year: a chance for your pup to become an official “bark ranger.” Wandering around the Tidal Basin and East and West Potomac parks brings you to a number of memorials, which also offer tours and thematic talks. The Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, D.C. War Memorial and World War II Memorial are all across Independence Avenue from the Tidal Basin and MLK Memorial. Head south from the Tidal Basin and you’ll come across the East Potomac Golf Links, home to D.C.’s only outdoor mini-golf course — a 93-year-old landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Or take this bingo card and see how many activities and experiences you can check off. Finally, there are paddle boats, for a completely different way to see the blossoms. Just be prepared to pay for the experience — one hour on the water costs $38 during the week and $40 on weekends — and know that there are no advance reservations during the festival. Pro tip: There are three swan-shaped boats, but they are available only on a first-come, first-served basis.

Question 6

Where can we eat and drink — and use the bathroom — near the blossoms?

Accepted Answer

First, the essential information: The Roosevelt and MLK memorials have indoor restrooms adjacent to their bookstores. The Roosevelt Memorial also has more restrooms near its south entrance, toward the Japanese Pagoda. The Jefferson Memorial is undergoing restoration work, and temporary restrooms are situated in a trailer in its rear parking lot. (Hey, they’re nicer than port-a-potties.) As for sustenance, a kiosk between the Jefferson Memorial and the George Mason Memorial sells quick, basic refreshments, such as ice cream, hot dogs and sodas. There’s usually food for sale at the Park Service’s Welcome Area and a refreshment stand near the paddle boats, but better options are nearby. For those taking Metro, the path from the Smithsonian station to the Tidal Basin goes right by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cafeteria, which is located in the South Building and open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. There’s a food court with multiple stations, including Korean bibimbap, sushi, noodles, burgers and a salad bar. Adults have to show a valid ID to enter the building. East Potomac Golf Links, located south of the Tidal Basin, is home to the Potomac Grille, known for its old-school cheeseburgers and hearty chili cheese dogs. You don’t need to play nine holes to visit the snack bar, or even grab a cold beer and sit on the veranda. From the Jefferson Memorial or the paddle boats, it’s an easy walk down Maine Avenue to the Wharf, which has a wide variety of sit-down restaurants or, if the weather’s nice, places to get something to go and sit outside with a water view. Fast-casual favorites include Shake Shack, Colada Shop and Falafel Inc., while pricier sit-down options include Hank’s Oyster Bar and Mi Vida.

Question 7

What are the best things to do with kids?

Accepted Answer

Most of the festival is family-friendly. At the popular Blossom Kite Festival on the Washington Monument grounds (March 30), children can decorate and build their own kites, watch Japanese kite masters demonstrate their techniques, and listen to Japanese drumming. There are even more kites at the Oxon Run Pinknic and Kite Fly at Oxon Run Park (March 24). The final weekend brings both the parade on Constitution Avenue (April 13), with grand marshals Mickey and Minnie Mouse, marching bands, giant balloons and dancing in the street, and the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival (April 13-14), with multiple stages of music and dance performances, hands-on activities, and much more. In between, there are family days at museums, including the Library of Congress and Smithsonian American Art Museum (see below), and the Bloomaroo festival at the Wharf (March 23) and Petalpalooza festival at Yards Park (April 6), both of which have family activities such as music and crafts and are capped by fireworks.

Question 8

What are the best activities for adults?

Accepted Answer

So you think you’re too old for kites and parades. That’s fine. What about browsing vintage clothes and records, dancing at an after-hours museum party, or hanging out in a wine garden and listening to live music? Coming weeks contain a number of smaller events, some officially part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and others that just coincide with it. While Bloomaroo or Petalpalooza do have activities for families, for example, they also offer attractions just for adults. Kids might love having their faces painted at Jazz and Blossoms, but older folks might have more fun grooving to Digable Planets or the JoGo Project. The first full weekend of the festival brings a trio of outdoor events: The Wharf’s Bloomaroo (March 23) is a day-long event with a giant beer garden on the District Pier, multiple stages of live music including the Chuck Brown Band, art, origami classes, karaoke and a fireworks show. National Landing’s Art of Pink (March 23), part of the community’s Pink in the Park series, is focused on the arts, with local artists creating murals, a pop-up market with 20 makers, DJs, food trucks and a bar. At National Harbor, Sakura Sunday (March 24) offers a beer and sake garden, cultural performances, and a marketplace with food and vendors. Cherry Night (March 29) features pop-up cherry-blossom-themed events at bars around D.C. The full schedule hasn’t been officially announced, but some free highlights (so far) include live music and blossom-inspired cocktails at Metrobar and DJs and themed drinks at Dirty Habit inside the Hotel Monaco. The first weekend of April is action-packed. Petalpalooza (April 6) sprawls throughout the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, and previous editions have included interactive art installations and selfie stations, beer and wine gardens — including rosé from District Winery — and multiple stages for entertainers and cover bands. This year’s edition is also capped with fireworks. The two-day Art Blooms in Fairfax’s Mosaic District (April 6-7) brings a marketplace of 90 makers and vintage vendors, music on multiple stages, and a farmers market with food and drinks. (You can also bring the kids to meet singing princesses.) Take advantage of the free shuttle from the Dunn Loring Metro station. Bars and restaurants along 17th Street near Dupont Circle team up for the new Kimonos and Cocktails (April 6), a bar crawl featuring cherry-blossom-themed cocktails and mocktails. Taste your way down the street before voting for a favorite concoction. The following day, it’s the return of Jazz and Blossoms (April 7) to Franklin Park downtown. This is a music-focused festival, with performances by Digable Planets, the Sun Ra Arkestra, the JoGo Project, Madison McFerrin and the Daylight DJs, but there are also art installations, lawn games, haiku-writing stations and nonalcoholic beverages. If art is more your style, the wildly popular National Gallery Nights (April 11) take a “Flowers After Hours” theme, with a chance to craft wearable flower art, dance performances, pop-up talks with emerging artists, a DJ and activities on the rooftop terrace. Admission is primarily by lottery, with registration open April 1 to 4, though a portion of the evening’s happenings will take place on the plaza outside and be open to all.

Question 9

Do any museums have cherry-blossom-related exhibits or activities?

Accepted Answer

Washington’s larger cultural institutions often celebrate the cherry blossoms with events, rather than exhibitions, and orient them toward families. Events are free unless otherwise noted, and some require advance registration. The Library of Congress’s Japanese Culture Day (March 23) is a hands-on experience, letting young visitors try their hand at origami, coloring woodblock prints and making a tiara with the Cherry Blossom Princesses, as well as watching Japanese dance and drumming performances, or settling in for storytelling. Tickets are required. The Textile Museum’s Family Day (March 23) is focused on Japanese fashion, so visitors can try on a happi coat or yukata before touring the galleries, watching dance or music performances, or making cherry blossom pendants. The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Cherry Blossom Family Celebration (March 23) begins with a taiko drumming performance on F Street before moving into the Kogod Courtyard, where kids have their faces painted and make cherry-blossom-themed crafts while Les the DJ spins Japanese pop and funk music. There’s also a scavenger hunt through the galleries. The following day, the museum welcomes Nicolas Shi, the creator of the official 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival artwork, for a Beyond the Studio workshop, where he will discuss his journey in the art world before leading a cherry-blossom-inspired activity (March 24, $15; registration closes March 17). The National Gallery of Art’s monthly First Saturday program (April 6) has something for all ages: Adults can create floral art from paper or try sketching a floral arrangement. Children can have their faces painted, attend story time or make art at the drop-in workshop. The day also features classical and contemporary Japanese music by the Miyabi Koto Shamisen Ensemble and taiko drum performances by the Nen Daiko Ensemble. In terms of exhibits, the Library of Congress has a display dubbed “Sakura: Icon of Spring” in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson building, featuring cherry-blossom-related items from its vast collections, which can be observed during opening hours or the weekly Live! At the Library after-hours events (through April 24). Digital art museum Artechouse takes advantage of its location near the Tidal Basin to host an interactive art installation inspired by the cherry blossoms each spring. This year’s version is “Isekai: Blooming Parallel Worlds,” so visitors will be transported to other worlds, inspired by the isekai genre of anime (March 9-June 1; $20-$36; children younger than 4 admitted free). The Japan Information and Culture Center — a cultural arm of the Japanese Embassy — presents “Color Me Pink,” featuring artwork from previous festivals, interactive cherry blossom art and a Lego mural (March 22-April 19). In Alexandria, the Torpedo Factory’s “Pink Torpedoes” features cherry-blossom-inspired works by artists across all three floors of the former munitions factory, which holds 71 separate galleries (March 23-April 14). Cherry blossoms should be left on trees and not used for decorating. Instead, learn about the Japanese flower arranging style of ikebana at the “Ikebana International Exhibit,” shown inside the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the National Arboretum. Master ikebana teachers give free demonstrations the weekends of April 13-14 and 20-21 (April 12-21).

Question 10

Which restaurants have cherry blossom dishes or cocktails?

Accepted Answer

Each year, the festival runs a program called Cherry Picks, which promotes restaurants using cherries as ingredients in dishes and cocktails, in partnership with the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. In 2024, participants range from Michelin Bib Gourmands (Oyamel, China Chilcano) to buzzy critic faves (Bar Spero, Imperfecto) to fast-casual (Rasa, Luke’s Lobster) to reliable spots for a cocktail (Morris American Bar, Casta’s Rum Bar). There’s a list of restaurants sorted by neighborhood on the festival website; look for more to be added as the festival draws closer.

Question 11

The Tidal Basin is too crowded. Where else can I see cherry blossoms in the D.C. area?

Accepted Answer

There are nearly 4,000 cherry trees at the Tidal Basin and in East Potomac Park, primarily of the Yoshino variety. But a few miles to the northeast, the National Arboretum is home to more than 70 varieties of cherry trees, including some hybrids developed there. Because of this diversity, the flowering season is much longer than the Tidal Basin’s — some trees bloom weeks later. An app makes it easy to take a guided tour of the trees on the 446-acre campus. Elsewhere in D.C., get your cherry blossom fix at Oxon Run Park in Southeast, which has more than 200 trees, including some grown from cuttings taken at the Tidal Basin, and Cherry Hill, a section of the grounds at Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown that takes its name from the wide selection of flowering trees. Bethesda’s Kenwood neighborhood is probably the best-known destination outside of D.C. proper, with more than 1,200 trees lining the subdivision’s streets. Just be warned that traffic jams are inevitable, and parking is difficult. Other options include Vienna’s Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, which has more than 200 cherry trees on display, and National Harbor, where visitors can take in 200 trees while exploring a Japanese festival, origami classes and other activities in March and April. For details and even more options, check out this roundup.

Everything you need to know about the National Cherry Blossom Festival