Surprising Places You Can See Cherry Blossoms This Spring

Spring season is blooming and you know what that means, cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms are a Japanese tradition, sakura, which is a flower that has a deep traditional significance to the people of Japan and has been practiced for centuries.

The flourishing cherry trees usually start in March and last about a month, so here are the unexpected places you can find cherry trees while they’re in bloom!

1. The entire city of Vancouver commemorates spring with it’s sakura event, also known as the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. Stroll through the streets filled with hundreds of trees flourishing with cherry blossoms. The VanDusen Botanical Garden houses more than 100 trees sprouting into the spring season while the Stuart Ward’s cherry blossoms glow with colorful LED lights.

   

2. If you ever find yourself in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is a sight to see. For over 50 years the city’s celebrated the Japanese heritage and culture by showcasing flowers and karate workshops. The stunning cherry trees lay in the heart of the festival, located in the Japantown neighborhood of San Francisco. With about 30 trees budding throughout the festival, it’s definitely a new adventure to add to your bucket-list.
3. New Yorkers sets their sights on spring by traveling to the Hanami at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Flourishing cherry blossoms and cherry esplanade’s steal the scenery of the Brooklyn conservatory. Follow the yellow brick road while enjoying the shades of pink, purple, and white lining the sidewalks of the garden. With the celebration of Hanami, this botanic garden celebrates in style by offering musical entertainment and even tea time.
4. If you’re looking to enjoy the cherry blossoms in the most entertaining way, the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia is for you! The spring festivities include food, dancing, and even a 5K. Fairmount Park is the place to be if you’re trying to set your sights on some lovely cherry blossoms. Hundreds of cherry blossom trees overwhelm the park and offer the best scenery for your next Instagram snapshot.
5. Manhattan’s finest make their way to the lengthy and picturesque Riverside Park for the Sakura Park. Filled with peace, the Sakura Park is completed with hundreds of cherry trees blooming every spring. In 1912, New York City received 2,000 blossoms as a Japanese gift so it comes to no surprise that this green space offers fresh air to the city that never sleeps.

   

6. Washington D.C., is one of the most famous locations to spot cherry blossoms, but it actually doesn’t house the largest cherry blossom festival. Macon Georgia is home to the International Cherry Blossom Festival, home to more than 300,000 trees, the festival includes floral arrangement classes, tours, and history on cherry trees.
7. Known as America’s Music City, the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival glows with over 600 cherry blossoms of pure bliss. The cherry trees have become such an attraction that Nashville now offers a 2-mile tour of the stunning blooming trees.
8. Forget the Jersey Shore, Branch Brook Park is the hotspot to visit in the spring and their Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival presents over 4,000 blooming cherry trees. To say that the festival is an event would be an understatement, the park welcomes spring with music and a 10K run.
9. Missouri displays more than 200 cherry trees within their conservatory, creating a serene environment to enjoy the spring blooms. The Missouri Botanical Garden adds a unique touch with the presence of Higan cherry trees, which look like weeping willows, and there are over 40 of them placed throughout the garden.

   

10. Boston offers a lot of history and their gardens would be no different! The Charles River Esplanade sits along the riverside, which offers a great view, but the main attraction is the canopy hanging cherry trees. The setting creates a tranquil setting to read a book while relaxing underneath the cherry blossoms by the river.