The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC is the nation's greatest springtime celebration.
The 2014 Festival, from March 20 to April 13, includes three spectacular weeks and four weekends of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit.
The 2014 Festival commemorates the 102nd anniversary of the gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the United States and Japan.
One of the Festival’s largest signature events, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade® presented by Events DC. is on Saturday, April 12, 2014 from 10am until noon along Constitution Avenue, NW. Vibrant costumes and blossom-inspired décor create the look of the nation’s premier springtime parade. Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, and performers burst down Constitution Avenue in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a year during the Festival.
National Cherry Blossom Festival 2014 signature events and programs include:
- Thursday, March 20: Pink Tie Party fundraiser at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
- Saturday, March 22: Opening Ceremony at the Warner Theatre
- Saturday & Sunday, March 22 & 23: Family Days presented with the National Building Museum
- Saturdays (March 22, 29, April 5): Step Into Spring Fitness Programming at the Jefferson Memorial
- Saturday, March 29: Blossom Kite Festival on the Washington Monument grounds
- Thursday, April 3: Grand Sake Tasting at Carnegie Library
- Saturday, April 5: Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival
- Saturday, April 12: Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival produced by The Japan-America Society of Washington DC
- Saturday, March 22 - Sunday, April 6: Festival Welcome Center at the Tidal Basin produced with the National Park Service
- Ongoing: City in Bloom and the Petal Pass Program presented by Capital One Bank®
Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org for more information.
For news of other top events in Washington DC take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Washington DC.