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Uwishunu Event last updated on March 20, 2024

A Guide to the 2024 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia

March 24 - April 27, 2024

A month of colorful celebrations throughout Philadelphia…

Photo by K. Kelly for Visit Philadelphia
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Location & Contact:

  • Various locations including the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center
    100 N. Horticultural Drive
    Philadelphia, PA 19131
  • (267) 237-3550
  • Visit Website
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Overview

Blooms of colorful cherry blossoms are a sure sign of the arrival of spring in the Philadelphia region.

Another sign: the return of the annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia, which honors these beautiful flowering trees and the city’s deep Japanese cultural connections.

The festival’s three-day main event — entitled Sakura Weekend (April 12 to 14, 2024) — brings live performances, food and drink, and more (for free!) to historic Fairmount Park in the oh-so-photogenic forest of sakura (flowering Japanese cherry trees).

For 2024, the family-friendly festival expands to include a month of complementary programming — including taiko drumming performances, a vocal recital, sushi-making classes, specials at select Japanese restaurants. and a curated film series — throughout the city.

The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 24 to April 27, 2024 (select dates).

2024 Highlights

Sakura Weekend in Fairmount Park

The centerpiece of the month-long Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival is Sakura Weekend.

The three-day event kicks off on Friday, April 12, 2024, with a ticketed cultural performance ($20 per person) at The Fallser Club in Philly’s East Falls neighborhood.

Free and family-friendly cultural celebrations on Saturday, April 13, 2024 and Sunday, April 14, 2024, are centered around the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and the Centennial Arboretum in Fairmount Park. (Paid parking is available at the nearby Mann Center. Read more here.)

Attendees in 2024 can look forward to:

  • a cosplay fashion show (Saturday)
  • karaoke with a live DJ (Saturday)
  • live music and vocal performances from local artists (Saturday & Sunday)
  • calligraphy performances (Saturday & Sunday)
  • Taiko drumming and traditional dance performances (Saturday & Sunday)
  • a beer garden featuring pay-as-you-go pours from Philly’s Triple Bottom Brewing (Saturday & Sunday)
  • a vendor fair with pay-as-you-go Japanese food and wares (Saturday & Sunday)
  • a cherry blossom tree-planting ceremony (Sunday), and
  • and an absolutely ah-dorable “prettiest pet in pink” parade (Sunday).
A family of four sits on a park bench and takes a selfie together at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Philadelphia. A family of four sits on a park bench and takes a selfie together at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Philadelphia.

  — Photo by K. Kelly for Visit Philadelphia

Click the button below for a full list of programming over Sakura Weekend.

Additional Programming

In addition to all the action in Fairmount Park for Sakura Weekend, a variety of Cherry Blossom Festival programs are scheduled throughout late March and the month of April.

  • Taisho Romance Vocal Recital: Enjoy an evening of song at the Philadelphia Ethical Society honoring the 140th birthday of Japanese illustrator Takehisa Yumeji. Admission is free and first-come, first-seated (March 24, 2024).
  • Sushi-making Classes and Contests: Learn the art of sushi-making at Tokio Headhouse with Philadelphia’s Queen of Sushi, Madame Saito. Ambitious novices can also compete in the Annual Sushi Content for Amateurs on Thursday. Fees range from $60-120 per person and advance registration is required (April 1-4, 2024).
  • Dine In Japan: Foodies can enjoy special menus at select Japanese restaurants in Philadelphia (April 8-14, 2024). Stay tuned for a list of participating restaurants.
  • Traditional Dance and Taiko Drumming Performances: Tamagawa University returns to Swarthmore College and West Chester University for impressive drumming and dance performances. Tickets are open to the public (April 8-9, 2024).
  • Lectures, Performances and Workshops: In collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, the public is invited to join three campus activities examining East Asia, including a lecture on Global Asias and Taboo Subjects, a calligraphy demonstration and a virtual class on a Japanese card game. Admission is free to attend or $10 per person (depending on the event) and registration is required (April 9-11, 2024).
  • Youth Rebellion in Japanese Cinema: Movie fanatics can catch a curated film series exploring youth rebellion across six decades at Lightbox Film Center at the University of the Arts (April 19-27, 2024).

For more information on the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival, click the button below.

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Where to See Cherry Blossoms at Peak Bloom in Philadelphia

West Fairmount Park — near the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, the site of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival — is without a doubt one of the best spots to see cherry blossoms during peak bloom in Philadelphia.

That said, it’s just one of many spots to take in stunning spring blooms throughout the city.

An up close detailed shot of cherry blossom blooms on a tree in front of a blue sky. An up close detailed shot of cherry blossom blooms on a tree in front of a blue sky.

  — Photo courtesy Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center

Click the button below to get the full scoop of where — and when — to see cherry blossoms adding touches of pink, white and purple to the Philadelphia landscape.

The History

The annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival started in 1998 and continues a legacy established in 1926, when the Japanese government donated 1,600 cherry trees to Philadelphia in honor of the Sesquicentennial of American Independence.

Cherry blossoms maintain deep significance in Japanese culture, prominently featured in traditional art, literature and cuisine. As Japan’s national flower, cherry blossoms often serve as a symbol of friendship to other nations.

Cherry blossoms bloom at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden. Cherry blossoms bloom at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden.

  — Photo by C. Smyth for Visit Philadelphia

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