Cherry Blossom Festival

With 42 different varieties, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden houses the largest and most varied collection of cherry trees outside of Japan.

From late March or early April though mid-May, the garden is filled with a sea of the pale pink flowers. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival, or as it is known in Japanese, Sakuri Matsuri, celebrates the beautiful blossoms, along with Japanese culture.

• Location: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is located at 900 Washington Avenue. For a guide to the garden's cherry blossom trees, click here.
• Nearest subway: 2 or 3 to Eastern Parkway—Brooklyn Museum station; B or Q to Prospect Park station (no B train service on weekends); S shuttle to Prospect Park station
• Date: Late April or early May
• Website

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been celebrating the annual blooming of its cherry trees with the Cherry Blossom Festival for over 25 years. The festival is based on a Japapese tradition known as Hanami, which is the time when people view and appreciate the short-lived cherry flowers as they transition from small buds to beautiful blossoms that look like snow as they fall.

Visitors come to the Cherry Blossom Festival not only to view the beautiful flowers but also to celebrate Japanese culture and traditions. The festival draws hundreds of thousands of people who come to enjoy a weekend of Japanese food, art, manga, music, haiku readings, various children's activities, and dance and theatrical performances. Past performers have included the Japanese music group ZAN, the pop band Happyfunsmile, and an "Urban Tea Ceremony" by Akim Funk Buddha.