Despite an extra-snowy February, the District’s famed cherry blossom trees are expected to still bloom just in time for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
“The range of dates for the blooming forecast for this year is April 3rd through April 8th,” National Park Service spokesman Bill Line said Thursday, referring to the days when the blossoms are predicted to be at their peak. “That’s pretty typical. That certainly will be right smack dab in the middle of the Cherry Blossom Festival itself.”
The festival is set for March 27-April 11. It celebrates the blossoming of the thousands of cherry trees dotting the Tidal Basin, which were a gift from Japan to D.C. in 1912.
The blooming period for the cherry trees — the time during which at least 20 percent of the blossoms are open — is supposed to take place from March 31 to April 11.
In spite of the snow damage the trees sustained during the February storms, which included split limbs and torn canopies, the park service said that the blooming forecast was right on target. “The snow we had had virtually no effect at all,” Line said. The average peak bloom date is April 4, according to the National Park Service’s Web site.
The National Cherry Blossom festival, which marks the 98th anniversary of Japan’s gift to the city, will include a fireworks display, a parade, and a Japanese street fair. It is one of D.C.’s most widely anticipated events each year, drawing an average of 1 million visitors.
“We are thrilled to hear that once again the peak blooming period will coincide with the festival for several days, and people who have made their made their plans to visit will get to experience the blossoms in all their splendor,” said Diana Mayhew, president of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
High-profile attendees for this year’s festival events are scheduled to include celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, “American Idol” star Justin Guarini, 2010 Miss America Caressa Cameron, R&B singer Deborah Cox and Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki.
