Cherry blossom peak bloom dates announced in Washington, DC
Visitors snap photos at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. Credit: AFP via Getty Images/Mandel Ngan
Whatever your feelings about our nation’s capital and the attendant gridlock/dysfunction therein, or I-95 and its nonstop tolls, or your level of horticultural enthusiasm, a visit to Washington, D.C., during cherry blossom season should be on everyone’s — and I mean everyone’s — bucket list. And the time to plan a trip is now. Why? Because the National Park Service announced Thursday that peak blooming this season is expected to be March 23-26, an annual prediction that in the past has sparked a run on hotel and restaurant reservations during the period.
With the Washington Monument in the background, visitors walk by cherry blossom trees in full bloom on the National Mall in Washington. Credit: AP/Jose Luis Magana
A few caveats. The prediction is just that, and atmospheric conditions over the next few weeks may well change peak bloom estimates (a better guess will come approximately 10 days out). But Washington’s 3,800 cherry trees — from the Tidal Basin to the Washington Monument and beyond — have been known to put on a show for weeks, and a spectacular one at that. The National Cherry Blossom Festival itself will run from March 20 to April 14 this year, and include street festivals, parties, art exhibitions and more.
Want to skip the roughly five-hour drive from Long Island? Round-trip fares on Amtrak from Penn Station in midtown Manhattan start about $210 that weekend, while round-trip bus tickets on Greyhound from Manhattan start at $64. Trips on Megabus, Peter Pan and other low-cost bus lines leaving from midtown Manhattan can be even cheaper.
Tourists enjoy blooming cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. Credit: Getty Images/China News Service
And if your schedule doesn’t permit a D.C. excursion, you needn’t miss out on the fun. Watch for upcoming local events including April’s Cherry Blossom Festival in Greenport and its annual 5K run, while April 21 is the date for Sakura Matsuri, a one-day cherry blossom festival at the Charles B. Wang Center at Stony Brook University featuring music, events and exhibits.
For more information on the National Cherry Blossom Festival, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.
Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.
