The annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Fairmount Park is timed perfectly this year to coincide with peak bloom.
On April 5-6, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia will host activities celebrating spring and Japanese culture at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and Shofuso Cultural Center. There will be live music and traditional dances by Tamagawa University Taiko and Dance at the event, which is also known as Sakura Weekend.
MORE: 250 new cherry blossom trees to be planted in Philly ahead of city's 2026 semiquincentennial celebrations
Cherry blossoms bloom in six stages and flower for a few weeks. Peak bloom, the best time for viewing the trees' pink and white flowers when 70% are open, is predicted to be from April 5-8 in Philly.
The society will host a "Pretty in Pink" contest for pets, an authentic Japanese tea ceremony, a karaoke tent and a calligraphy booth. There will also be face painting, Japanese storytelling presentations, sushi-making classes, origami helmet-making and a cosplaying contest, where competitors will dress as famous characters. More than 40,000 people came to last year's festival, which was held after peak bloom.
Triple Bottom Brewing will be pouring drinks at a beer garden, and a vendor fair and food court will feature Japanese wares and bites.
Admission is $15 for adults and free for children under 12, Japan America Society members and ACCESS Card holders.
The Cherry Blossom Festival, which began in Philadelphia in 1998, honors the 1,600 cherry trees donated by the Japanese government in 1926. Next year there will be even more blooms, as the society plans to plant 250 trees, the bulk of which will be in Fairmount Park, before the semiquincentennial celebration honoring America's 250th birthday in 2026.
Cherry Blossom Festival
April 5-6 | Tickets $15 for adults; free for children under 12
Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center
100 N. Horticultural Dr., Philadelphia