Happy Easter and April Fool’s Day! This month is filled with official events hosted by the National Cherry Blossom Festival.For cherry blossoms IRL, check out our map of all the cherry blossom trees in DC!
If you can’t get enough of cherry blossoms, here’s a list of absolutely every cherry blossom event we could find! But first…
Fun Facts about Cherry Blossom Trees
#1 They bear fruit
Most cherry trees bear fruit. They are too sour for human consumption but birds like it!
#2 They only bloom for a week
That’s why forecasts for peak bloom is such a big deal!
#3 They can be different colors!
Cherry blossoms range from white to light pink and even dark pink.
Cherry Blossoms Events in DC
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Sculpt & Shape Thursdays featuring Cherry Blossom Yoga, 5:30-6:30pm at Freedom Plaza (1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW). Join the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID), the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Aetna, and ProYOGA Corporate Wellness for a special outdoor Cherry Blossom Yoga class. All attendees should bring their own mat and a bottle of water. Come dressed for the weather! Free giveaways while supplies last. FREE
Phillips after 5: You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Artist, 5-8:30pm at the Phillips Collection(1600 21st St NW). Celebrate nature and the outdoors with the Phillips and the National Cherry Blossom Festival! Many artists featured in Ten Americans: After Paul Klee found inspiration in nature’s shapes and structures. Try your hand at being the artist in a drawing activity inspired by Klee’s practice of “taking a line for a walk,” join gallery talks focused on nature in Ten Americans, and enjoy Cherry Blossom-themed sips, bites, and the improvisational jazz of The Anansi Trio. $12
Friday, April 6, 2018
Cherry Blossom Crafting, 5-7pm at Shop Made in DC (1330 19th St NW). Cherry Blossom inspired craft-making event with DC-based artist and educator Jennifer Wilkin Penick. The first 25 participants to sign-up will get a free drink ticket for a glass of beer, wine, cider or a cocktail on draft! FREE
Sing with the Blossoms: A Celebration of the Cherry Blossoms, 7-11PM at Tonic at Quigley’s (2036 G St NW). Sing your heart out with District Karaoke to celebrate the arrival of spring! Join District Karaoke for some harmonious fun singing your favorite tunes. Prizes for best karaoke, plus great food and drink specials! FREE
First on First: Port City Brewing & Cherry Blossom Origami, 6-8pm at Heurich House Museum (1307 New Hampshire Ave NW). Guests are invited to get into the Cherry Blossom spirit by creating their own origami pieces, purchase beer from Port City Brewing Company, and explore the first floor of the historic Dupont Circle home of DC brewmaster Christian Heurich, completed in 1894. FREE
Spring Fling Pop-Up Exhibit, 10am-4pm at Thomas Jefferson Building (10 First Street SE). The Library of Congress celebrates spring and the National Cherry Blossom Festival with its latest pop-up treasures display. Visitors will experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the season through treasures from the national collections. Experience the living history of the National Cherry Blossom Festival through archival objects, photographs, and art. Learn about the weather, seasons, gardens, and botany from the Library’s general and special collections. FREE
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Petalpalooza – National Cherry Blossom Festival, 1-9:30pm at the Wharf (690 Water St SW). Join us as we celebrate all things cherry blossoms with a Wharf-wide festival featuring interactive art, live music on all three of our outdoor stages, a pop-up roller rink, and family-friendly activities along the waterfront. We’ll finish out the day with a spectacular fireworks finale! Fireworks show begins at 8:30PM, but the festivities get started at 1PM. FREE
Cherry Blossom Wine & Beer, 1-9pm at Akridge Lot (230 V Street SW). Celebrate the arrival of spring and DC’s favorite cherry blossoms with us! We’ll bring the tasty beverages, you gather all of your friends for our annual Cherry Blossom Wine and Beer! For two days we’ll offer tastings of 100+ beers and wines, unlimited full pour beverages, access to DC area food vendors, and live entertainment all day! $50-90
Cherry Blossom Ball, 9pm-2am at the Sphinx Club (1315 K St NW). Hosted by SAIS JHU, Student Government Association. The dress code is black tie optional. Men: black coat and tie. Women: medium or floor-length formal dresses. Your ticket provides you with: entrance to the event, three drink tickets, a variety of hors d’oeuvres, photobooth. $55
Cherry Blossom Photo Shoot, 12-6pm at the Tidal Basin. Hosted by Welcome2DC. Get your family photo or headshots taken for free by photographer, Carlos Alberto. FREE
Washington DC Cherry Blossom Family Craft Day, 11am-12:30pm at Pop Local (429 L’Enfant Plaza SW). Join us for a family friendly media arts and crafts session for tourists and locals. Our instructor will guide you in creating a beautiful Cherry Blossom themed work of art using paper, paint and other materials. Everyone will get similar instructions, but each peice will be unique! $25
Cherry Blossom Flower Crown Class, 11am and 3pm at Watergate Hotel (2650 Virginia Ave NW). Learn to craft a flower crown from fine silk cherry blossom blooms. Wear it to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC and for future events that call for a floral touch. The 1-hour class includes a flower crown making lesson, complimentary prosecco, and a flower crown to take home and enjoy. $40
Sunday, April 8, 2018
2018 National Cherry Blossom Festival Greenscape Corridor Bike Ride, 11am-2pm at BicycleSPACE- Adams Morgan (2424 18th St NW). Join in the fun of a 12-mile bike ride on Sunday through downtown DC that visits landmark green spaces around our nation’s capital, exploring the traditions and rich history behind the three locations of the tour. At each tour stop, National Park Service and US National Arboretum horticulturists provide tips for your yard and explain how each of these historic and cultural landscapes is important to Washington, DC. $15 suggested donation
Welcome2DC’s 2018 Happy Fun Cherry Blossom Picnic, 12-4pm at Jefferson Memorial (900 Ohio Dr SW). Bring yourself and a blanket and come have a picnic with new and old friends. All are welcome! FREE
Cherry Blossom Wine & Beer, 1-9pm at Akridge Lot (230 V Street SW). Celebrate the arrival of spring and DC’s favorite cherry blossoms with us! We’ll bring the tasty beverages, you gather all of your friends for our annual Cherry Blossom Wine and Beer! For two days we’ll offer tastings of 100+ beers and wines, unlimited full pour beverages, access to DC area food vendors, and live entertainment all day! $50-90
RRCA National Championship Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, 7:30-10:30. The race course covers many historic and memorable sights in Washington, D.C. Among the landmarks along the route are the Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Washington Monument, Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial, the Watergate complex, Rock Creek Park, and the Tidal Basin.
Cherry Blossom Paddle Tour, 11am-2pm at Capital SUP DC (1492 4th Street SE). Experience the world famous Cherry Blossoms from the water with a three-hour paddle tour that departs from our location at Yards Park. Beginner and experienced paddlers will get a new view of the blossoms along the East Potomac Park. $30-60
Cherry Blossom Cruise, 1-2PM at DC Cruises (3100 K St NW). View the Cherry Blossom Trees by Water! Experience our nation’s greatest springtime celebration from a new perspective. $16
Cherry Blossom Flower Crown Class, 11am at Watergate Hotel (2650 Virginia Ave NW). Learn to craft a flower crown from fine silk cherry blossom blooms. Wear it to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC and for future events that call for a floral touch. The 1-hour class includes a flower crown making lesson, complimentary prosecco, and a flower crown to take home and enjoy. $40
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
DC Bike Party’s Cherry Blossom Chase, 7:30-10:30pm at Dupont Circle. We want to see YOU in your pinkest pinks, your floweriest florals, and your most festive cherry blossom outfits! We’ll meet at 7:30PM in the center of Dupont Circle–wheels hit the streets at 8PM sharp! Sound Bike DC will be there with some super loud mobile tunes to get you in the mood, so you’re just in charge of bringing good vibes, friends, and maybe a bike pump. FREE
Cherry Blossom Congressional Reception 2018 – NCSS State Sponsors, 6-8:30pm at United States Botanic Garden (100 Maryland Ave SW). The event is graciously hosted by the U.S. Botanic Gardens with a formal program at 6:30pm and a follow on reception with drinks and light fare. Doors will open at 6pm, the program will be general admission standing only with very limited seating. Attendees must be 21 years old to attend with a government ID to match the name on the ticket. FREE
Friday, April 13, 2018
Cherry Blossom: Celebrates Springtime in Washington DC, 10pm-3am at Lost Society (2001 14th St NW). Free drink (rail, beer or wine) for every attendee with your Eventbrite ticket. Why not welcome cherry blossom season with Japanese tradition and delicious cocktails? Let’s sip on a themed cocktail and imagine ourself cozied up underneath a blossom tree. FREE
Newseum Nights: In Bloom, 8-10:30pm at Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Ave NW). This favorite D.C. tradition, hosted in partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, will have everything from live entertainment to an open bar that’ll surely satisfy all your springtime needs. $45-60
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Cherry BlossOM Yoga in the Temple, 9-10am at Renwick Gallery (1661 Pennsylvania Ave NW). Join SAAM, Brightest Young Things, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival for yoga in the Burning Man temple! We will be practicing in artist David Best’s room-sized installation, part of the exhibition No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man. Limited space; attendees must register in advance and bring their own mats. All levels welcome.
2018 Sakura Matsuri & Japanese Street Festival, 10:30am-6pm at Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW). We are the largest one-day celebration of Japanese culture in the US. We have 4 stages of performances and demonstrations, cultural exhibitors, food vendors, cooking demonstrations, a Childrens’ Corner – and more! Children 12 and under are always free! $10
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, 10am-12pm at Federal Triangle Metro Station(10th & Constitution Ave NW). Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, celebrity entertainers, and performers burst down the Parade route. FREE
NSO In Your Neighborhood: Anacostia, A taiko drumming performance kicks off the day, followed by Japanese music, and a US premiere of Okinawa’s NS Ryukyu Ballet Company. Enjoy face painting, make cherry blossom crafts, and go on a spring-themed scavenger hunt. FREE
Masters of Food & Wine: A Kyoto-Style Tea Ceremony & Chano-yu Workshop, 1-3:30pm at Park Hyatt (1201 24th St NW). On this particular afternoon, guests will have the unique opportunity to savor a “Washoku” inspired food menu prepared by Executive Chef Troy Knapp featuring American rice, Chesapeake seafood, and locally sourced vegetables, followed by a traditional tea ceremony, also known as Chano-yu, conducted by Sobin Koizumi, a Urasenke professor from Japan. $100
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Flower Power 2018, 1-4pm at the Anacostia Arts Center (1200 Block of Good Hope Rd SE). Part of the Anacostia River Festival, the Closing Celebration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Enjoy an interactive art installation, art exhibitions, floral arranging classes, workshops, live music, spring fashion. FREE
Festival Sunday Funday at Drink Company’s Cherry Blossom PUB, 5pm-12:30am at Cherry Blossom Pop Up Bar (1841 7th St NW). Guests can guarantee their entry into the Cherry Blossom Pop Up Bar (PUB) at $20-a-person donation. 100% of the entry dollars collected will aid the National Cherry Blossom Festival, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the beauty of nature and international friendship through year-round programs, events, and educational initiatives that enhance our environment, showcase arts and culture, and build community spirit. $20
Cherry Blossom Truffle Making Class, 11am-1pm at the Watergate Hotel (2650 Virginia Ave NW). Bring some friends and create exceptional hand-made truffles with an expert chocolatier from SPAGnVOLA. Your truffles will be crafted from fine cacao hand-picked at the chocolatiers’ farm in the Dominican Republic, then roasted and refined in Maryland. You will be guided through the process, while sharing their knowledge of cacao growing, chocolate history and truffle making. $64.29
