The time of the year has come when it suddenly turns warm and flowers start blooming on campus overnight. Spring, out of nowhere, brings life back to Hopkins from the cold, dreary winter.
If you're impressed by the flowers all over campus, you'll be amazed by the scene down in Washington, D.C. this month.
Held annually around the months of March and April, the National Cherry Blossom Festival draws thousands and thousands of visitors from all over the world each year. Along the streets in D.C., you will only find rows and rows of cherry blossoms, and, of course, swarms of tourists busily taking photographs of this land of pink.
The History
The National Cherry Blossom Festival first began in 1935 in commemoration of the 3,000 cherry blossom trees that Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo, Japan gave to Washington, D.C. as a gift. The trees celebrated a growing friendship between the people of the two countries.
The first two trees were planted in West Potomac Park, on the north bank of the Tidal Basin under a ceremony led by First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador. In 1965, 3,800 more trees were given to D.C. Today, tourists are immersed in a sea of pink and white cherry blossoms once they enter the area around the Jefferson Memorial.
The cherry blossoms continued to be a symbol of friendship when Japanese horticulturists came to the city to take cuttings of the trees in order to replace those destroyed in a flood in 1981. The American government also responded to this generous gift by presenting Tokyo with flowering dogwood trees in 1915.
Predicting the Bloom
National Park Service Regional Horticulturist Robert DeFeo has been responsible for predicting the blooming of the cherry blossoms in the past several years. Typically, the buds on the trees expand in February and horticulturists can predict the blooming peak by monitoring the trees in order to count of the days for the Festival each year.
The National Park Service has also been keeping records of the blooming dates since 1921.
This year, the blooming period was predicted to between March 30 and April 8, and the peak bloom date on March 30. The blooming period is defined as the time when 20 percent of the cherry blossoms are open and the peak bloom date as the day when 70 percent of the flowers are open.
Touring through the Land of Pink
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is set between March 25 and April 8, marking the 94th anniversary of this annual event.
While you may join the crowds of tourists walking around the Tidal Basin taking pictures, you can also contact the National Park Service for a guided tours in the area. Led by park rangers, these tours could be walking or bike tours. The park ranger will give you a guided tour on the historical and cultural influence of these cherry blossoms from Japan on D.C.
The Celebration
Of course, the fun doesn't end there. Apart from admiring the scenes of nature, you can also participate in a wide range of activities organized by the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc. These events range from art exhibitions to cultural performances that highlight Japanese culture in America.
The largest events of the Festival will have to be the annual parade and street festival. Held on April 8 this year, the parade will showcase talented marching bands, choir performances, clowns, horses and antique cars. You might also have a chance to catch a glimpse of Miss America 2006, Jennifer Berry, who will take part in the parade.
The Japanese Street Festival is also an exciting event right after the parade. Stalls will be set up along Pennsylvania Avenue featuring Japanese arts and crafts, animation, traditional dances and music.
So if you're ready for some fun this weekend, get ready to hop onto the Amtrak and spend the day in the city. Trust me, it's definitely worth getting away from your favorite cubicle on D-level.
