Each Spring, DC's famous pink cherry blossoms reel in more tourists than any other annual event in the Capitol, but they can also cause a major headache for Washington officials: Figuring out just when Spring is going to get here.
The two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival—full of parties, parades, fireworks, and street festivals—is scheduled way in advance, based on officials' best guesstimate of when the cherry trees will be in full bloom. But the cherries don't always comply.
This year's festival is slated for March 28 to April 12, but National Park Service horticulturalists announced this week that the trees are a little more shy than usual, and won't be in peak bloom until April 3. That's not to say you should cancel your late March trip—the cherries should be starting to show by then—but if you're angling for that picturesque postcard view of DC covered in a sea of pink flowers, better wait 'til the second week.
Related Stories:
· Cherry Trees Appear In No Blooming Hurry [Washington Post]
· Naitonal Cherry Blossom Festival [Official Site]
· Washington, DC travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: zachstern] ]]>