The Cherry Blossom Festival: A Photo Essay 

Every year, the Cherry Blossom Festival welcomes springtime to DC while honoring the US’s longstanding relationship with Japan. This year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival took place from March 20th to April 13th. This festival included concerts, cultural performances, crafts, games and all-around family fun. 

The festival was first held in 1912 to celebrate the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. 

The gesture was considered a gift of friendship from the people of Japan to the people of the United States. To reciprocate their gesture of kindness, President Taft gifted flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan. 

For 24 days, the festival hosted over 20 different musical performances, including the “Nen Daiko,” a taiko ensemble based out of the Ekoji Buddhist Temple. Taiko, which is a Japanese word meaning ‘drum,’ is a form of Buddhist expression of “joy and exuberance.”

The Kite Festival is a one-day outdoor event hosted on the National Mall where people of all ages fly kites. Dating back to 1967, the Blossom Kite Festival is a spectator favorite part of the Cherry Blossom Festival. 

In 2024, over 100,000 people visited the Kite Festival from across the world. 

For more serious kite enthusiasts, the festival also hosts kite demonstrations and competitions, inviting professional kite fliers from across the globe to showcase their intricately crafted kites. 

The Cherry Blossom Festival is a DC staple and allows spectators to enjoy the warm weather and the historic gift bestowed by the Japanese people.