West 22nd Avenue and Arbutus Street
Image courtesy of Spencer Finlay | Inside Vancouver Flickr Pool
Spring is officially here and the first signs of cherry blossoms in Vancouver are beginning to appear! The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (VCBF) is the city’s signature springtime event, waking the city up from winter hibernation with an explosion of some 41,000 blossoming cherry trees.
With bright, cheerful blossoms are a welcome reminder that the long, cold winter is finally nearing its end! (Especially now that the forecast of snow has been removed from the 7-day Vancouver weather forecast).
The Cherry Blossom Festival officially kicks off this April and there are several events to celebrate the occasion. Take a look at some of the highlights below from the upcoming 2018 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival…
Photo sourced from Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
Cherry Jam Downtown Concert
Thursday, April 5, 2018 from 12:00pm to 1:30pm at the Burrard Skytrain station (635 Burrard St)
The 12th annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival starts the season with a noon-hour concert in the downtown core with local talent and memorable performances. You can look forward to performances by a local choir, tap dancing, and Taiko drumming, all under Burrard Station’s famed cherry blossom canopy. (More info)
Sakura Days Japan Fair
Saturday, April 14, 2018 – Sunday, April 15, 2018 from 11:00am to 5:00pm at the VanDusen Botanical Garden (5251 Oak Street)
Experience the special ritual of the Japanese tea ceremony, culinary demonstrations, enjoy Japanese festival food, sample premium sake, take a trek on a guided Tree Talks and Walks to the cherry trees, and enjoy haiku readings. Sakura Days Japan Fair lets you experience Japan with hands-on workshops including calligraphy, origami and other Japanese arts and crafts demonstrations. (Tickets available online)
Photo credit Majomo Photography | Sourced from the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
The Big Picnic
Saturday, April 14, 2018 from 12:00pm – 3:00pm at Queen Elizabeth Park (W 33rd Ave and Cambie)
Enjoy a picnic under Queen Elizabeth Park’s iconic cherry blossom canopy with friends. This event features interconnecting Petal Mats seating surrounded by some of the city’s most beautiful blossoms. This year, the Big Picnic will feature food trucks and fun activities, as well as pop-up performances. (More info)
Spring Lights Illumination
Date TBD from dusk to 10:00pm at Queen Elizabeth Park (W 33rd Ave and Cambie)
A beautiful nighttime display of lights set up by local artists using the transcendent experience of a cherry blossom backdrop to communicate themes of time, ephemerality, and beauty. The illumination will be set up for unobstructed views ideal for photography and picnicking in the spring evening air under cherry blossoms! (More info)
Bike the Blossoms – photo credit: Joseph Lin
Bike the Blossoms
Date TBD from 11:00am – 1:00pm at John Hendry Park (Trout Lake – 3300 Victoria Drive)
A fun community event that sees hundreds of bike riders each year on a circular route that starts and ends at beautiful Trout Lake. All you need is a bicycle to follow along with the group as they bike some of the best, bike-friendly streets laden with cherry blossoms. (More info)
Along with the fantastic events that are a part of the festival, you’ll also have plenty of opportunity to view the cherry blossoms as they bloom around each neighbourhood. Take a look at a list of 17 of the best places to view cherry blossoms in Vancouver so you’ll know where to go to get your next awesome Instagram shot!
What are you looking forward to this cherry blossom season? Let us know in the comment section below!
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