Nothing signals the beginning of spring quite like Vancouver’s cherry blossoms!
All across the city and the Lower Mainland, lush blossoms ranging from pale pink to vibrant fuchsia have started to pop up in our streets and parks.
If you want to make the most of sakura season, here are three ways you can celebrate Vancouver’s most colourful time of year:
• Stanley Park has rows of blossom trees near the Rose Garden and the Japanese Memorial Garden.
• Queen Elizabeth Park is home to many different varieties that bloom throughout early March to late April.
• VanDusen Botanical Garden offers not just a beautiful array of cherry blossoms, but also magnolias, tulips, rhododendrons, and much more.
• Nitobe Memorial Garden at UBC is a traditional Japanese garden and teahouse, as well as a very peaceful spot to view blossoms.
Use this fantastic map from The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival to see all the cherry blossom trees in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. You can select your neighbourhood and find ones that are blossoming nearest to you!
• Sakura Days Japan Fair at Van Dusen Garden. April 9th – 10th. This family-friendly event is a celebration of Japanese art, food and culture with performances, hands-on workshops, and a wide variety of exhibitors. Experience a traditional tea ceremony, watch a taiko drumming performance, and snack on tasty Japanese treats while perusing the local vendors.
• The Big Picnic at David Lam Park. April 2nd. From 10am to 4pm, join other blossom enthusiasts among the hundred cherry trees at David Lam Park. This year, the festival has a special haiku installation in partnership with our Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. Bring your own food, browse the food trucks or be extra fancy and pre-order a special bento box. And of course, take lots and lots of photos!
• Richmond Cherry Blossom Festival at Steveston’s Garry Point Park. Starting April 10th. In addition to the 255 beautiful sakura trees to stroll through at Garry Point Park, the festival also offers the chance to experience traditional Japanese activities and performances. Think sushi rolling and kimono demonstrations, origami and crafts, musical performances and more.
