Cherry Blossom Festival plans announced; blossoms to peak March 26-30 Spring is nearly here and so are the famous cherry blossoms that transform the District every year. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is back, commemorating the 101st anniversary of Japan's gifting of 3,000 trees to Washington in 1912. This year's festival runs March 20 to April 14. The peak bloom date is predicted to be between March 26 and March 30, a National Park Service official said. The peak bloom date is the day on which 70 percent of the blossoms are open. The average peak bloom date is April 4, and last year's peak date was March 20. The first cherry blossom festival was held in 1927. Today, more than 1.5 million people visit Washington each year to see the trees that surround the Tidal Basin. At a festival press conference Monday, Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) said the festival is an integral part of spring. "D.C. is a springtime destination for not only the city, but for the nation and the world," said Gray, wearing a pink tie. The Cherry Blossom Festival is a central piece of that. Traditionally, first ladies have been involved in the festival. On March 27, 1912, first lady Helen Taft and the wife of the Japanese ambassador planted the first two trees in West Potomac Park. First lady Michelle Obama was the honorary chair for last year's centennial festival and followed in first lady Taft's footsteps by planting a cherry tree in West Potomac Park. This year, 150 additional trees will be planted there. The three-week-long festival features activities to celebrate the blossoms and Japanese culture, including a Japanese street festival, bike tours and art and fitness components. There is a free festival app available to plan activities in advance and follow festival updates in real time. Ambassador John Malott, the president and CEO of the Japan-America Society of Washington D.C., stressed the importance of the festival in preserving ties between Japan and the U.S. "We continue to lay the foundation for another century of friendship between the United States and Japan," he said.