Cherry blossom season is blooming!
Yes, we're still waiting for the main event – the National Cherry Blossom Festival begins on March 20 and peak bloom isn't expected until days later – there are some ways you can begin celebrating early.
Check on early bloomers
Okame cherry trees often produce bright pink flowers early in the season. National Harbor showed off some early buds in late February! Here's more on their plans for cherry blossom season.
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Cherry Tree Varieties, by Bloom
Source: Getty Images, Flicker
Credit: Anisa Holmes / NBC Washington
Congressional Cemetery in Southeast is known for its impressive collection of okame trees.
Cherry Blossom Festival
Another hot spot for these trees is Long Bridge Park in Alexandria, Virginia.
Casey Trees also has a map showing many of D.C.'s cherry trees -- it's color-coded by the type of tree!
LEGO Discovery Center Washington, D.C.
Hundreds of LEGO cherry trees have sprouted up around the D.C. monuments depicted in brick form at the LEGO attraction in Springfield, Virginia.
Master Model Builder Andrew Litterst used more than 9,800 LEGO bricks to build and plant the "trees" over 32 hours.
Library of Congress’ book display
For the bookworms hoping to learn more about the blossom traditions, a Library of Congress display will feature a collection of books about the cherry blossoms. The "Sakura: Icon of Spring" display will be located on the second floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, SE, Washington, D.C. The display will open on March 1 and more information can be found here.
ARTECHOUSE
The immersive art museum specializes in larger-than-life projections and interactives. On Saturday, March 9, the Southwest D.C. space debuted "ISEKAI: Blooming Parallel Worlds," a cherry blossom-themed experience inspired by manga and anime. Timed tickets are available now; they start at $27 for adults.
Cherry blossom promenade
CityCenterDC's Palmer Alley is decked out for cherry blossom season. Head over to snap a pic under a canopy of pink lanterns and cherry blossom decals.
Decorate your space
The National Cherry Blossom Festival invites everyone to decorate their porch, yard, window or something else to bloom joy throughout the D.C. area. Register your decor to put your home on the Petal Porches map.
A chance to win a flight to Tokyo
The National Cherry Blossom Festival and Nippon Airways have opened sweepstakes for a chance to win a pair of round-trip tickets to Tokyo. The sweepstakes are open until March 29. For every 100 entries, the airline will plant a new cherry blossom in D.C. For more information, visit NationalCherryBlossomFestival.org.
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