One of the biggest and most beautiful events in the country devoted to ringing in spring is the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. The event, happening this year from March 26 through April 10, is focused around the blossoming of the hundreds of cherry trees around the National Mall and the Tidal Basin, gifts of friendship from Japan to the United States in 1912. In addition to observing the lovely and fragrant pink and white blooms of the cherry trees, the National Cherry Blossom Festival is the largest celebration of Japanese culture in the United States. In light of the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, this year's festival will be especially poignant.
Visit the following links to learn more about the Cherry Blossom Festival and its dozens of events:
National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC
2011 Calendar of Events for the National Cherry Blossom Festival