Officials Predict Peak Bloom For DC Cherry Trees
WASHINGTON (WJZ)—It may have been a cold March windy on Wednesday, but a sign of warmer times to come is announced in Washington.
Alex DeMetrick reports, winter and politics are about to compete with Cherry Blossoms.
A cold wind off Washington's tidal basin may have slipped through the branches of cherry trees, but there's no pushing back the buds that will become Cherry Blossoms this spring and the warm reception to the annual Cherry Blossom Festival set for March 20th through April 17th.
"We have 1.5 million people attend the festival each year," said Gregory O'Dell, CEO Events D.C.
And the reason is obvious, ask any of those one and a half million.
"Just the beauty of nature. Everything that's going on right now. I like watching the diversity of people and everyone enjoying the day," said one man.
And that pink means green.
"The demand for hotels and restaurants continues to increase and that's probably over $100-million in economic impact just from this festival," said O'Dell.
Japan originally gave Washington 3,000 trees in 1912.
With age most have been replaced. All are tended by the National Park Service, keeping a living tradition alive.
While the festival begins March 20th, the peak bloom is projected to happen later.
"And the projected date for the peak bloom are March 31st to April 3rd," says Gay Vietzke, with the National Park Service.
That's when 70-percent of the trees will be in bloom!
This marks the 104th year since Japan gave the trees to the United States.
