24 Cherry Blossom Festivals Across the US
With the return of spring, people all over the world anxiously look for signs that winter is approaching its end. Cherry blossoms are one of the giveaways that spring has sprung.
In Japan, cherry blossom trees, also called Sakura, are celebrated with festivals that put the beautiful pink flowers front and center. Festivals are the best places to both show reverence and rejoice for their beauty.
Hanami, or spending time under a cherry tree in bloom, was once the privilege of the imperial court. However, it’s now achievable not only outside of Japan but also in many U.S. locations.
Traverse City, Michigan
The National Cherry Festival happens in Traverse City, Michigan, the “cherry capital of the world.” The city is a beautiful backdrop for the delicate flowers because of its rolling hills.
Because the area specializes in growing cherries, a drive on the M-37 road will let you enjoy views of the cherry trees every spring. It’s the best way to admire the blooms because the city doesn’t organize a festival.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco has one of three Japantowns in California and boasts the largest festival on the West Coast. In mid-to-late April, you can attend the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival and join over 200,000 people who visit every year.
The city is also one of the best destinations for sightseeing along the Pacific Coast and has many attractions to keep visitors occupied even after finishing a Sakura experience.
San Diego, California
San Diego hosts its spring celebration festival as early as March 7, with the Cherry Blossom Festival at Balboa Park’s Japanese Friendship Garden. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of seasonal cherry blossoms.
If you do miss the festival, California’s mild climate means there’s no shortage of spots you can visit later in the season. Many places around the state have lush vegetation and beautiful plants blooming year-round. Even if you miss the cherry blossoms, a trip to San Diego is worth it.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles holds more than one festival to celebrate the tokens of spring. In early April, you can visit the Cherry Blossom Cultural Festival in Torrance, which combines the visual pleasure of the cherry trees with amazing food.
In mid-April, you can visit Huntington Beach and enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Sakura Night Market for some Japanese-inspired treats. Whichever venue and festival you choose, you’ll love the delicate blooms, tasty food, and parties that happen all over town. Spring in LA is a blast.
Nashville, Tennessee
If you love cherry trees, Nashville is the place to be in April. The city has 1,000 cherry trees that it showcases during the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival on April 13. The organizers have spent over a decade completing their passion project and are proud of their achievements.
An interactive map with all the trees shows how the project came together. While you’re in Nashville, take advantage of the vibrant food scene and enjoy the Southern hospitality.
Dallas, Texas
The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a magical place to visit throughout the year. However, Dallas Blooms, which Southern Living called one of “the best places to see stunning spring blooms across the south,” is the largest yearly flower festival in the Southwest.
It pairs the ephemeral cherry blossoms with colorful tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths for a mesmerizing mix of flowers and scents. If you visit when all the flowers bloom, you’ll be amazed by the curated paths. Visit the arboretum whenever you’re in Dallas, and you’ll find something to see regardless of the season.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., holds one of the best-known spring festivals in the nation — the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which lasts from March to April. If you head to Washington, you can see 2,500 cherry trees along the Tidal Basin Loop Trail.
The variety of trees includes Somei-Yoshino cherry trees, whose small blooms are puffy like clouds. If you go for a stroll along the National Mall, you’ll enjoy seeing these delicate flowers and smelling their amazing scent. If you get hungry along the way, you can satisfy your hunger with local food truck offerings.
Seattle, Washington
The University of Washington is the best spot to see cherry trees in bloom each March. The blossoms usually peak during the third week of the month. You can follow their progress with a dedicated Twitter account and pick the best time for your visit.
Depending on the weather, blooms can be early, and you may get a taste of spring in the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully, you’ll see the sun, which is a rare sight during spring in this area. The beautiful cherry blossoms are still an unforgettable sight.
Macon, Georgia
Macon is the cherry blossom capital of the world, with 350,000 Yoshino cherry trees. With such sheer numbers, you won’t have trouble finding a spot to enjoy the dainty flowers. If you want to attend an organized event, visit the “Pinkest Party on Earth” during the last two weeks in March.
If you can’t attend in person, you can peek at the BloomCam from anywhere in the world.
St. Louis, Missouri
The Missouri Botanical Garden includes a 14-acre Japanese Garden and displays more than 230 individuals in the cherry family. You can visit as early as late February to admire the simple white flowers of the Japanese apricot.
Later in the season, in mid-April, you can feast your eyes on the frilly pink blossoms of the Kanzans and the fragrant white flowers of the Yoshino trees. Regardless of when you visit, you’ll be entertained and awed by the dainty flowers and St. Louis’s incredible art and music scene.
Portland, Oregon
If you’re in Portland this spring, you can enjoy the beauty of Portland Japanese Garden, where the blooming cherry trees are carefully placed throughout to create special views typical of traditional Japanese gardens.
These gardens use white space. Instead of getting overwhelmed by blossoming trees everywhere, your eyes can pause between them. This is a great way to enjoy nature’s beauty. It’s also the best way to enjoy a quiet stroll and meditate.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is a great destination for cherry blossoms. There are countless spots to enjoy the fragile blooms, but if you want an authentic experience, the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden is the place to go.
The establishment opens for the season on March 20, so you can expect lots of blooms to welcome you. While the blossoms don’t last long, you will likely find some in early to mid-April.
Brooklyn, New York
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has rows of blossoming trees at its Japanese Hill and Pond Garden. These fragrant trees bloom in mid-March, as do the ones on the Cherry Walk, a beautiful path with Kanzan trees on each side.
The garden is a great spot to enjoy the cherry blossoms and other beautiful plants. As Brooklyn has many Chinatowns, it’s also a great destination if you want to explore Chinese culture and authentic Chinese food. Don’t miss the Brooklyn Bridge during your stay.
Boston, Massachusetts
If you’re in Boston this spring, take a kayak or paddle on the Charles River to see the cherry trees from the water for the best view of these spring harbingers in the city. The river is lined with cherry trees.
The Charles River Esplanade is a good spot to see the river’s majestic beauty from your folding chair on land. It also gives you an opportunity to watch the Sakura reflected in the ripples of the water. There’s no better authentic way to appreciate their beauty than in the quiet of the riverbank.
Newark, New Jersey
Newark’s Branch Brook Park holds the Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival and a host of events you can attend in April, including Bloomfest on April 14. The park is home to 4,000 cherry trees, so the variety is endless.
It has a well-deserved reputation as New Jersey’s “pinkest park.” If you want to see for yourself if the name is well-earned, you can head to Newark and find your favorite spot. With thousands of cherry trees around, picking your best view shouldn’t be hard.
Athens, Ohio
The Ohio University’s campus received 200 cherry trees from its sister campus in Japan 45 years ago. Enjoying the beautiful present is a reminder of the friendship between the two institutions and a unique celebration of spring that the campus partakes in every year.
You can enjoy these fragrant Japanese Sakura trees every spring in mid-April. Depending on the weather, they may bloom early, so your best bet is to keep abreast of the weather patterns in Athens from mid-March.
La Cañada Flintridge, California
Descanso Gardens, renowned for its flower displays throughout the year, is only 20 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. Each spring, the gardens hold origami and flower arrangement demonstrations and act as a living museum of delicate cherry blossoms.
If you’re in Los Angeles during spring, you’ve got many Sakura attractions to choose from. Each has charm and personality. Visit Descanso Gardens if you’d like to avoid the crowds that gather in Los Angeles during your Sakura experience.
San Mateo, California
This next spot is also the place to go if you enjoy peace and tranquility in the middle of a bustling community. San Mateo Japanese Garden is the perfect retreat to have a quiet reflection on spring while surrounded by cherry blossoms. Its central koi pond is surrounded by cherry trees that you can enjoy free of charge each spring.
Despite being in the middle of a busy area, the garden feels like you’ve teleported to the quiet of a Japanese nature retreat. There’s no better way to appreciate cherry blossoms.
Hawaii
Hawaii celebrates Japanese and Hawaiian culture during its Cherry Blossom Festival, including a Festival Ball. The Cherry Blossom Festival is the longest festival in the state and hosts five sister Junior Chamber chapters from Japan each year.
The festival celebrates girls alongside the delicate Sakura petals and prides itself on the community’s appreciation. Hawaii is a popular destination during spring.
Salem, Oregon
Cherry Blossom Day at the Capitol celebrates the beautiful cherry trees that surround the Capitol and the effect of Japanese culture on the state of Oregon.
At this free festival, you can participate in origami, koto playing, and Taiko drumming. You can also sit under the cherry blossoms and quietly appreciate their unique charm.
Fort Worth, Texas
The Fort Worth Japanese Garden is a beautiful spot to visit when you’re in the area. You can stroll along the 7.5 acres filled with cherry trees and ponds. The garden only comes to life with dainty blooms during spring because it practices the ancient Japanese practice of Mono no Aware or “transient/bittersweet beauty.”
This unique Japanese philosophy states that flowers wouldn’t be special if they were blooming all the time. It’s a good reminder of humbleness and simplicity in our world of constant gratification and a good principle to see in action at the Japanese Garden.
Irmo, South Carolina
The Irmo Cherry Blossom Festival happens at the end of March in the self-described “oh-so-photogenic” Irmo Town Park. The festival includes a kimono stroll, a Japanese import car show, and plein air painting and photography to capture the wonderful Yoshino blooms.
It’s one of the lesser-known Sakura festivals in the U.S., but it’s well worth your time. If you pick Irmo as your destination to admire the flowers, you’ll get a taste of how a smaller community honors and celebrates these spring visitors each year, which will be vastly different than what you’ll experience in a big city.
Delray Beach, Florida
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach hold the Hatsume Fair to celebrate spring. Besides admiring the cherry trees, you can enroll in the annual Costume Contest and Fashion Show and have a blast with all your anime aficionados.
Many people from all over Florida congregate on Delray Beach, so if you don’t like crowds, it’s not the place for you. However, it’s a completely different experience from the other places on this list, so it’s worth putting on your bucket list while visiting Florida.
New Haven, Connecticut
The Wooster Square neighborhood in New Haven holds a Cherry Blossom Festival to celebrate the cherry trees in Wooster Square Park. On April 14, the neighbors get together for a picnic, rain or shine.
The neighborhood enjoys coming together each spring with music, delicate cherry tree petals, and delightful food. It’s a community-building event that lets neighbors enjoy each other’s company while celebrating the Sakura flowers. It may feel like an excuse to get together, but the residents love the park and the cherry blossoms and show their appreciation by honoring them every year.
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