No More Lies in Washington
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
"I can not tell a lie." This statement was reportedly made by a young George Washington after he cut down a cherry tree. That act by the first President is long forgotten in the Capital City and today Washington, D.C. is host to the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. This year the event is scheduled for March 28 through April 12 with the peak bloom period projected to occur around April 1 thru the 4. The celebration does more than acknowledge the amazing beauty of the cherry trees planted all through out the city. It commemorates the gift of 3,000 trees from the Mayor of Tokyo to the city of Washington back in 1912. In 1965, a gift of another 3,800 trees was accepted by then First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.
Visit the festival website to get a full list of all the events and activities that are schedule during the bloom period but here are some of the top days for visiting the festival.
March 28 is a great time to experience the festival. This is the Family Day for the festival with a full list of hands-on fun hosted at the National Building Museum. This is also the day of the 43rd Annual Kite Festival held on the Washington Monument Grounds. March 28 is the day of the ceremonial kick-off of the Cherry Blossom Festival activities.
April 4th is the day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. It is presented by Southwest Airlines and runs from 10 am until noon. There are also plenty of family entertainment opportunities around the city on this day.
Washington, D.C. can always be an adventure. Stopping in during the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival just adds more to the list of things that you must do while stopping in to visit this historic city.
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