When is the best time to visit the cherry blossoms in Washington DC? All I know is "march/april" but is there a more specific time? How long are they in full bloom? Thanks for your information!

Cherry blossom time in DC is glorious. However, predicting when the cherry blossoms will be in bloom is definitely not an exact science. Those trees are unpredictable little things. They generally bloom the end of March/first part of April. Keep checking the website of the National Park Service for updates. This year's Cherry Blossom Parade is scheduled for April 6. I am telling you this because 1) the parade is always fun and 2) it is usually scheduled for when the blossoms are anticipated to be in full bloom, though sometimes that doesn't always work out.

I'm sorry, I think I got the date wrong for the parade. I realized that April 6 is a Thursday. I know the parade, however, is schedule around then (either the weekend before or the one after).

Ilisa's advice is great. They generally bloom only for about a week to ten days. In good years there are two full weekends when they are in bloom. Predicting when is difficult. Sometime in February the NPS seems to start having better information. A lot depends on the weather. One year I remember they were in bloom and then we got a terribly windy spell and all the blossoms blew off very quickly! Late March/early April is usually a good guess. It's a gorgeous time to be in DC. The area around the Tidal basin is glorious then. Sometimes the NPS's prediction is a little off and the parade ends up being before or after they are in bloom, but it's usually pretty accurate.

Ok, now I've got my act together. The Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled from March 26 to April 9, with the parade on Saturday, April 8 at 9:30am. The trees should be in bloom during that time, though as mentioned, you should keep checking the NPS website. Also, the festival's website is www.gwjapan.com/cherryblossom

Ilisa,

I plan to be in D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival time, arriving on the 7th. I would like to see the parade. Can you recommend the best place to view from and what time to get there?

Thanks!

Sandi, the parade will take place on Constitution Avenue, NW between 7 and 17th Streets. I will be honest, I don't know a good place to see it from. It has been a few years since I've been to the parade. However, you do have to get there very early. I remember the last time I went, we were there about 2 hours early, and got a somewhat cruddy viewing spot. If you are willing to spend some money, you can purchase grandstand viewing seats for $12 apiece through TicketMaster (202)432-SEAT. The link to the Cherry Blossom site that I gave in my earlier message also lets you order them online. Personally, I think it's worth spending the money. I think the Cherry Blossom Parade is the most popular parade in DC next to the Inaugural Parade. Springtime in DC is so wonderful - the flowers are beautiful, the weather is warm, people are less anal-retentive...

1997 was the year the cherry blossoms got whipped straight into the Tidal Basin by 50-mile-an-hour winds just as we arrived in D.C. It was freezing and all we had were light jackets. Prepare for just about any kind of weather.