National Cherry Blossom Festival Attendance Tips

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

The 2020 National Cherry Blossom Festival opens on March 20 and runs until April 12.

Although they haven’t officially forecasted the peak bloom dates, they hint that it should be around the end of March/1st April. During the Festival, there are events almost everyday — popular ones include the Kit Festival on the 28th, the parade on the 4th, Cherry Blossom Ten Miler Run and 5k Run-Walk on the 5th, and Petalpalooza on the 11th that ends with a fireworks show on the river.

If you’re planning on visiting the Cherry Blossom Festival this year, I have some tips to help you make the visit a little less stressful.

• The event takes places in the Tidal Basin, which is a short walk from the following Metro Stations: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter, Federal Triangle, Foggy Bottom, L’Enfant and Smithsonian stops.
• You can reserve a parking spot ahead of time through SpotHero to get 50% off parking. I highly recommend doing this ahead of time to guarantee a spot. If you park at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, there’s a back staircase that leads right to the Tidal Basin.
• You can bike to the event. They’ll be offering extra bike parking at the Jefferson Memorial.
• It’s always easier to bring your own food than brave the lines, or look for a food vendor. That said, there are a bunch of restaurants along the Wharf that are easy to get to by walking from the Tidal Basin.

Want to skip the crowds but still want to check out the trees? Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna has their own peak bloom you can find on their Facebook page.