Although the National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off March 20 (Wednesday) and runs through April 14, 2019, the National Park Service has announced that peak bloom in Washington, D.C., this year will be from April 3 to 6, 2019.

There are more than 50 events (including stage productions and parades) surrounding the main attraction — those pink blooms on the trees around the Tidal Basin.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, D.C., and celebrates the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan.