Cherry blossom season is upon us once again, and this year, have we ever earned it.
After a winter of record-setting snowstorms that came with such charming titles as “Snowmageddon” and “Snowpocalypse,” it’s refreshing to know Mother Nature does offer some mercy, and a little color, in the form of pink.
To celebrate the season, the National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off Saturday and runs through April 11.
And for those wondering, the historic trees are good to go after having endured all of that snow.
“The trees are fine,” festival president Diana Mayhew said at a Cherry Picks event at Asia Nine last week. “The minimal damage that was done by the heavy snows, you won’t even notice the difference when the blossoms start to bloom. They’re on track. Everything is on track.”
A million people once again are expected to visit the Tidal Basin throughout the next 16 days. A point of emphasis for the next three weekends of the festival is to not only appeal to tourists and families, but bring in younger folks and locals as well. One event with that in mind is Cherry Blast, an evening of contemporary art and music for the 21-and-up crowd set for April 2 in Adams Morgan.
“We’ve heard the request to reach out to new and different audiences,” Mayhew said. “We’re working much closer with the city, the restaurants and the hotels, to bring not only the visitor from far away, but the regional people to come and take advantage.”
Not to worry, events like Opening Day and the parade are still the heart of the festival. Mayhew added that the festival offers “a little something for everybody.”
Food and drink once again play an important role in this year’s event, as evident through the Cherry Picks program. Restaurants across the city will be offering cherry-themed items.
“We want to incorporate cherry into the food, make it a little more interesting,” said Natalie Tantivejakul, owner of Asia Nine. “When people eat it, they will appreciate it.”
The biggest lesson to take from this year’s National Cherry Blossom festival is that, yes, after paralyzing snowstorms and cabin fever and dangerous road conditions and power outages, life moves on. The sun does shine again.
“It really does signal the start of spring in Washington, D.C.,” Rebecca Pawlowski, director of communication for Destination D.C., said. She added that the trees are known around the world and are a centerpiece of the District.
“They get people excited about coming to Washington and experiencing the natural side of our city as well as the international side of our city,” she said.
And being buried in blossoms is way warmer than being buried in snow.
