Essex County Hosts 50th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park

Essex County officials unveiled Thursday their plans for the 50th annual Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park. The park boasts more cherry blossoms than anywhere else in the United States. Festivities span April 4 through April 19.

Branch Brook Park contains 5,300 trees representing 18 varieties. That dwarfs the national display in Washington, D.C. The collection sprawls across 360 acres. Among them grows the Yoshino variety, known for white or pale pink flowers.

“For 50 years, Bloom Fest has brought people together across generations and communities to experience the power of this historic landscape work of art,” said Thomas Dougherty, the president of the Branch Brook Park Alliance, according to ABC7NY.

Full bloom should arrive between April 9 and 16, predicts the Branch Brook Park Alliance. New Jersey’s peak bloom window usually falls within the second or third week of April.

Last year, peak bloom stretched from April 6 to 18. In 2024, blossoms peaked April 5 through 15. The 2023 season hit its stride from April 6 to 16.

New activities join traditional events this year. A cherry blossom bike race kicks off April 4, joined by a 10K run and a one-mile kids’ fun run. Family day arrives mid-festival, with Bloom Fest capping things off April 19.

Bloom Fest brings Japanese cultural demonstrations, activities for children, live music, a crafter’s marketplace, and food vendors. The densest concentration of trees clusters near the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center.

Gates open at dawn. They close at 10 p.m. Live cameras track bloom progress online for curious watchers.

New Jersey offers other viewing locations. Try the New Jersey Botanical Gardens in Ringwood. Chapel Avenue in Cherry Hill draws crowds. Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown and Verona Park in Essex County both attract visitors. The David C. Shaw Arboretum in Holmdel Park showcases Yoshino, Sargent, and weeping Higan varieties.

The post Essex County Hosts 50th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park appeared first on WMTR AM.

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