As the days get longer and flowers begin to bloom, spring is in the air. Returning this year from March 29 – April 25, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates the blooming cherry blossom trees lining the streets of the city. The initial 500 cherry blossom were gifted to the city in the early 1930’s by the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama to be planted in Stanley Park to honour the Japanese Canadians who served in WWI. Now there are over 40,000 cherry blossom trees across the city to enjoy.

In addition to providing maps of the blossom and blooming dates, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival offers full schedule of arts and cultural events, bringing the community together to celebrate the beauty of the blossoms and learn about their rich culture.

A highlight of the festival is Big Picnic viewing party, an outdoor community event where cherry blossom enthusiasts can enjoy the blossoms together in David Lam Park, celebrating the festival’s mantra of “there’s no stranger under the cherry tree”. The Sakura Days Japan Fair is a great opportunity to learn about Japanese culture among the beautiful blossoms at VanDusen Botanical Garden, showcasing Japanese culture through music and dance performances, food trucks, ikebana presentations, sake samplings and more.

Other not to be missed events include neighborhood Tree Talks and Walks in Kitsilano, the West End, Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, Nitobe Memorial Garden and Callister Park, the illuminating Blossoms After Dark and more.