Nothing fairly captures the joyous arrival of spring like cherry blossom season.
While you consider this fleeting floral spectacle, an historical hanami (flower-watching) celebration in Japan could be the first picture that involves thoughts. Nonetheless, there are many locations inside the U.S. the place you’ll be able to view these puffs of flawless pink and white blossoms.
From Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin to the serene Japanese Backyard of Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, sakura shows are accompanied by elaborate Japanese cultural occasions and traditions.
It is a poignantly brief window of alternative — and Mom Nature is notoriously unpredictable — however you’ll be able to anticipate peak blooms to happen in late March and early April (although this varies barely from north to south).
Listed below are 11 of one of the best locations to see cherry blossoms within the U.S. this spring.
Washington, DC
This 12 months, the capital’s annual three-week National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place from March 20 to April 12. (The National Park Service has yet to release its predictions for 2026, however final 12 months, peak bloom fell on March 28.)
Greater than 3,000 bushes span fields and gardens inside metropolis limits, however the headline act unfolds on the Tidal Basin, the place blossoms photogenically body a few of the nation’s most cherished landmarks. Greater than 1.5 million individuals converge on town annually to witness the spectacle, so be ready to jockey for an excellent viewing spot.
The competition is a pink petal extravaganza that includes elaborate parade floats, marching bands, a kite competition, celeb entertainers and a “Pink Tie” ball. Alongside the banks of the Anacostia River, “Petalpalooza” on April 4 showcases native musicians and artists with stay performances, artwork walks and installations; there are additionally family-centric actions and a fireworks present at 8:30 p.m.
Celebrations culminate with the Japanese Road Pageant — the most important of its variety within the nation — on April 11 and 12. Alongside Pennsylvania Avenue (between Third and Seventh streets), you will discover martial arts demos, J-pop, conventional food-and-beverage distributors and the Ginza Market.
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If you wish to see beautiful blooms — and beat the crowds — head to the U.S. Nationwide Arboretum, which is about half-hour from downtown.
The place to remain: Salamander Washington DC (previously the Mandarin Oriental) sits between the Nationwide Mall and The Wharf. It is a brief stroll from the Tidal Basin, and it affords visitors a personal walkway for straightforward entry. The property even affords Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea all through the season from Wednesday via Sunday. Money charges for a king room begin at $550 per evening.
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Macon, Georgia
One of many nation’s most extravagant and proudest cherry blossom shows happens on this central Georgia metropolis. Macon celebrates the blossoms with a 10-day International Cherry Blossom Festival (March 20 to 29) that dates again to 1982.
Greater than 350,000 Yoshino cherry bushes bloom right here from mid- to late March, and the “pinkest social gathering on Earth” options lots of of occasions, together with the Cherry Blossom Ball, wiener canine racing, tribute bands and dance events.
The place to remain: A stable finances choice for households, Springhill Suites by Marriott Macon affords rooms beginning at 19,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors or about $127 per evening. Spacious, useful rooms include microwaves and fridges, and you will find an indoor pool and a health heart.
Nashville
Nashville is likely to be greatest recognized for its nation music scene, but it surely additionally hosts the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival. The celebration contains a 2 1/2-mile Cherry Blossom Stroll that begins at Nashville Public Sq.. Guests will even discover kids’s actions, martial arts, sumo go well with wrestling, a “Pups in Pink” parade, conventional Japanese music, dancing and distributors promoting Japanese specialty fare.
Town’s ardour for cherry blossoms dates again to 2008, when the consulate basic of Japan for the south-central U.S. transferred from New Orleans to Nashville and donated 1,000 cherry blossom bushes. This 12 months, the competition will happen April 11.
The place to remain: Hotel Indigo Nashville — The Countrypolitan has stylish rooms and a perfect location only a two-minute stroll from Nashville Public Sq.. There’s additionally stay music each evening and a design that takes its cues from Nashville’s business historical past. Money charges in mid-April begin round $417 per evening, or you’ll be able to redeem about 80,000 IHG One Rewards factors per evening.
Associated: The best hotels to book in Nashville for the full Music City experience
Philadelphia
Philly’s Fairmount Park is house to greater than 1,600 sakura bushes, which the individuals of Japan donated to Philadelphia in 1926; the reward honored 150 years of American independence.
The family-friendly Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia — which is able to happen March 28 and 29 this 12 months — attracts greater than 17,000 guests over two days. It options kimono dressing, origami tutorials, sushi-making courses, martial arts, taiko drumming, stay music performances and a standard tea ceremony.
The place to remain: Base your self on the W Philadelphia and mix superb cherry blossom viewing with a tour of Philadelphia’s historic websites. Only a 10-minute stroll from Rittenhouse Sq. and 20 minutes from the Liberty Bell, this glam Marriott Bonvoy property begins at $199 or about 60,000 Bonvoy factors per evening through the competition.
San Francisco
In San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, you will discover cherry blossom bushes cascading photogenically over the bridges and the jewel field tea home in its beloved Japanese Tea Backyard. (It is the oldest public Japanese backyard within the U.S., courting again to 1894.)
Spring’s high occasion is Japantown’s Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. The cherry blossom occasion is second solely to Washington, D.C.’s competition in measurement: It attracts greater than 220,000 individuals over two weekends in April. This 12 months, the celebration takes place April 11, 12, 18 and 19.
Cultural actions embrace taiko drum performances, bonsai shows, tea ceremonies, doll making, flower arranging, a Japanese meals bazaar with a beer backyard, a devoted kids’s village, and conventional artwork distributors and workshops. Most occasions happen on Submit Road.
The place to remain: Hotel Kabuki, a JdV by Hyatt property in Japantown, options Japanese-style pop artwork from the Nineteen Thirties and Nineteen Forties. Bookend cherry blossom festivities with Southeast Asian specialties on the on-site restaurant, Nari, after which retreat to the lodge’s meditation backyard. As a Class 5 Hyatt property, the lodge affords award charges in April beginning at about 20,000 World of Hyatt factors or $279 per evening.
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Seattle
The Emerald Metropolis ushers in spring with a three-day celebration of Japanese tradition and cherry blossom viewing at a handful of places. Throughout the Pacific Northwest, cherry blossom season typically peaks within the third week of March.
The biggest and oldest competition of its variety within the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival dates again to 1976, when Japan’s then-Prime Minister Takeo Miki donated 1,000 cherry bushes in honor of the U.S. bicentennial. Cultural occasions embrace conventional music performances, silk threading, origami demonstrations, kibori wooden carving, Japanese delicacies and video games.
This 12 months, the competition runs from April 10 to 12 at Seattle Middle, and it primarily takes place within the Armory, the Fisher Pavilion and the Exhibition Corridor. Guests can anticipate musical performances, martial arts, distributors, tea ceremonies, sake tastings and extra.
One other excellent place to view the blossoms is on the Liberal Arts Quadrangle on the College of Washington, the place 130 Yoshino cherry bushes line the quad’s stately lawns and Gothic buildings. You may additionally discover cherry bushes alongside Azalea Manner at Washington Park Arboretum, in addition to by the bridges and walkways within the Seattle Japanese Backyard.
The place to remain: The Hyatt Regency Seattle is one among TPG’s favorite Seattle hotels for its low factors fee and proximity to can’t-miss downtown sights, resembling Pike Place Market and the Seattle Artwork Museum. As for blossom peeping, it is only a 12-minute drive to the College of Washington. Should you hire a automobile and have Hyatt Globalist status, the lodge will waive your nightly self-parking charge of $40 throughout a free evening award keep. Additionally, you will obtain complimentary entry to the Regency Membership, which affords a full breakfast, night canapes and panoramic skyline views. Charges begin from about $259 or 12,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening in April.
Portland, Oregon
The very best place to see cherry blossoms in Portland is Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park beside the Willamette River. Greater than 100 cherry bushes bloom throughout the park’s northern recesses adjoining to the Japanese American Historic Plaza. The plaza commemorates the 120,000 Japanese People who have been deported to internment camps throughout World Warfare II.
Within the hills of Portland’s Washington Park, town’s beloved Japanese Garden is hailed because the nation’s most lovely. It hosts various standard cultural workshops, together with ikebana (flower arranging) and wine tastings.
On the finish of March, cherry blossoms explode alongside the backyard’s serene walkways that lead guests to pagodas, bridges, waterfalls and koi ponds. Advance reservations are really useful for the backyard, and entry tickets price $22.50 for adults. The placing Umami Cafe, designed to resemble Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera temple, is a beautiful spot for conventional Japanese tea.
The place to remain: Opened in 2023, The Ritz-Carlton, Portland is in a first-rate downtown location blocks from spots like Powell’s Books and Kiriko, a boutique that sells handmade garments produced from classic Japanese textiles. The property just lately opened a brand new meals corridor, The Flock, with meals distributors like ZabPinto Thai Kitchen and The Nest and Vine wine bar. On the finish of March, rooms begin from about $386 or 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per evening.
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Traverse Metropolis, Michigan
A late bloomer, Traverse Metropolis’s bucolic hillsides are awash with blossoms in early Might. Counties farther from the water (Acme and Williamsburg) see the primary blush; they’re adopted in mid-Might by blooms within the extra northern areas like Leelanau County, Outdated Mission Peninsula, Northport and the Mission Level Lighthouse.
In Leelanau, you’ll be able to mix prime cherry blossom viewing alongside County Street 633 (south of Suttons Bay) with excellent wine tasting at one among 20 award-winning wineries. In Benzie County, Joyfield Street (between state Route 22 and U.S. 31) is one other standard route dotted with farms and orchards that supply traditional northern Michigan vistas.
A good greater deal is when the cherry bushes begin producing fruit in the summertime. Traverse Metropolis’s National Cherry Festival, which dates to 1925, runs from July 4 to 11. Drawing greater than 500,000 guests, it is one of many nation’s largest festivals, and it is full of family-friendly actions, together with rides and sights. The sturdy, eight-day leisure schedule additionally consists of performances from native and regional musicians.
The place to remain: The 150-year-old Old Mission Inn exudes timeless allure and character. With a picturesque porch overlooking East Grand Traverse Bay, it is situated on Traverse Metropolis’s Outdated Mission Peninsula. Every of the individually styled rooms and suites is full of art work, antiques and interval furnishings like four-poster beds. Charges begin from $225 per evening throughout cherry blossom festivities (with a two-night minimal in July and August).
Brooklyn, New York
On the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 26 cherry tree species fringe the inexperienced lawns of the Cherry Esplanade. One of many season’s highlights is the double-flowering Kanzan cherries, which typically bloom towards the tip of April.
The Cherry Stroll winds behind the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Backyard, one of many oldest and most visited Japanese-inspired gardens exterior Japan. It is dotted with conventional architectural components, together with a purple picket torii, ornate bridges, stone lanterns and a Shinto shrine. Advance tickets are really useful and value $22. Its annual Hanami Nights event (from April 21 to 24) options stay music and dance performances, origami workshops and extra.
Hop on the subway and head south for about half-hour to the historic Green-Wood Cemetery. Along with being the ultimate resting place of well-known New Yorkers like Leonard Bernstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat, it’s also an accredited arboretum with 172 cherry bushes that blossom every spring throughout its 478 acres. The cemetery is open to the general public and free to go to.
The place to remain: The Livingston, a brand new JdV by Hyatt property, is now accepting reservations from Feb. 13 and past. The primary Hyatt lodge to open in Brooklyn is within the coronary heart of the borough and simply 4 subway stops away from the botanical backyard. Late April charges begin at $175 or 23,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening.
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St. Louis
Midwesterners can head to the 14-acre Japanese backyard inside the Missouri Botanical Garden to admire the pink blossoms this spring. The backyard affords all kinds of cherry bushes, together with vibrant Kanzans and greater than 40 weeping Higans. March and April are the height occasions for flower viewing, however some bushes right here begin blooming as early as February.
The backyard affords prolonged night hours each Thursday in April, so you’ll be able to admire the cherry bushes at sundown. Entry to the prolonged hours is included within the botanical backyard’s $16 basic admission charge. Should you’re in search of a cultural expertise, reserve a spot within the backyard’s Sake and Sakura event on March 27 from 5:30 to eight p.m. You may get a style of Japan via a curated sake and Japanese whisky tasting whereas having fun with views of the bushes.
The place to remain: The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis is likely one of the greatest resorts within the metropolis, and it is only a 10-minute drive from the botanical backyard. The lodge sits on the nook of St. Louis’ large 1,300-acre Forest Park, so on days once you’re not heading for the cherry bushes, you’ll be able to go to the park’s zoo, planetarium, historic landmarks and picnic areas. Visitor rooms begin at about $286 per evening in March.
Newark
You is likely to be shocked to be taught that the most important and most assorted group of Japanese flowering bushes within the U.S. is situated about 12 miles west of New York Metropolis in New Jersey. The 360-acre Branch Brook Park is nestled between Forest Hill and Roseville in northern Newark and has greater than 5,300 Japanese flowering bushes.
The park hosts loads of spring occasions to have fun the pink cherry blossoms. This 12 months, there might be a Cherry Blossom 10K run on April 12 and the Essex County Cherry Blossom Pageant from April 11 to 19. The competition culminates with Bloomfest: a free occasion stuffed with Japanese cultural demonstrations, stay music, distributors and children actions. There are additionally Cherry Blossom Talks scattered all through late March and April, via which guests can be taught concerning the historical past of cherry blossom bushes within the U.S., the historical past of the park and the way these bushes develop.
The park’s cherry blossom occasions entice 1000’s of tourists from far and extensive. Vacationers coming from Manhattan can attain the park in about half-hour by automobile or in about an hour through New Jersey Transit’s Montclair-Boonton Rail Line and buses.
The place to remain: Since there are lots of public transportation choices to Newark from Penn Station, choose to remain in one of many many hotels near the station in Manhattan. One stable property is the Kimpton Hotel Eventi, which is a few six-minute stroll from the station and affiliated with IHG, so IHG One Rewards members can earn and redeem factors right here. Charges in March and April begin at about $383 or 67,000 IHG One Rewards factors per evening.
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