D.C. Welcomes Spring With Cherry Blossom Festival

It's spring in Washington, D.C. and nothing represents this more than the blooming of the cherry blossoms. Yes, the white, fluffy, delicate flowers that make their highly anticipated appearance once a year are back.

The blossoms, planted along the edge of the Potomac River and Tidal Basin, are the reason for large, camera toting crowds from all over the world, in town just to witness the 16-day spectacle.

This year marks the 98th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival which kicked off on March 27th, a chilly but sunny Saturday, with an opening ceremony held in the National Building Museum.

Despite the weather, and the fact that the trees weren't in full bloom, hundreds of spectators came to take a leisurely stroll around the basin. Many kids accompanied their parents on the Mall excited to be on spring break.

Sitting on a grassy incline, Justin Pyles could be seen intently adding color to a small canvas portrait of the scenic view. "I've been out here all day, the weather is beautiful," he said with a smile. It is Pyles' tenth year attending the festival.

The weather straightened up for the occasion on Wednesday, just in time for peak blooming.

"When 70 percent of the trees have bloomed, we consider it peak time," said festival volunteer, Donald Adam.

There are 12 types of cherry blossom varieties. Some trees are single, meaning they have 5 petals like the Sargent variety, while some are double, with multiples of 5 petals, like the Shirofugen trees. There are 2,971 Yoshino trees in the park, the most popular of all the types.

The cherry blossoms are not native to the United States, which may be a reason why people are so intrigued by them. They were a gift to America as a symbol of friendship from Japan. Over 3,000 trees were initially brought over in 1912, courtesy of the mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, with the help of the wife of the Japanese Ambassador, Viscountess Chinda .

The first 2 trees were planted by First Lady Helen Tarron Taft and the Viscountess. In 1965, another 3,800 trees were sent to the U.S. as a gift.

The Cherry Blossom Festival was established in 1935. The opening day varies each year, but it is usually at the end of March.

These days, an activity is designated for each day, including daily paddle boating, a lantern lighting ceremony, a 5k run/walk and 10-mile run, a parade and much more.

Marilyn Rodriguez brought her boyfriend, Mark Vinelli to the festival as a surprise. "I am having fun, this was a nice surprise," said Vinelli. "We will probably come back later on in the week and maybe participate in some of the events," he added.

The area around the national monuments will continue to be populated by walkers, runners and bikers all trying to take in the events while they last.

The festival comes to a close on April 11th.

More info on the planned events can be found at http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/ .