Looking to plan your trip to see the cherry blossoms in bloom this year, but want to make sure you get the best view? According to the National Park Service, the prime time for blossom-viewing around Washington, DC will fall between March 23 and March 25 this year.
The NPS, alongside several DC officials, announced the official prediction for peak bloom – defined as the point when 70 percent of the blossoms are open – in a press conference on Tuesday, March 1. This will be the first year that the festival will return in-person, following two years of virtual festivities as a result of COVID-19.
The Annual Cherry Blossom Festival, set to take place between March 20 and April 17, will mark the 110th anniversary of Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki’s gift of 3,000 Japanese cherry trees to Washington, DC.
“Whether you are a fifth-generation Washingtonian like me or a first-time visitor to our nation’s capital, I hope you will immerse yourself in the spectacular radiance of our beautiful and blossoming cherry trees and take advantage of all that our city has to offer,” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a press conference. To keep a close eye on the status of the flowers, the festival’s official website has a “Bloom Watch” where you can view a live cam of the trees surrounding the Tidal Basin 24/7.
Feature image, Anastasiya/stock.adobe.com
For more cherry blossom updates, subscribe to our Parks & Rec newsletter.
