Cherry Blossom Festival To Begin Tomorrow

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Acting National Mall & Memorial Parks Superintendent Stephanie Toothman and U.S. Park Police Chief Sal Lauro have joined National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc. Executive Director Diana Mayhew in announcing a set of new visitor services for the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival.  

The annual festival, which draws over one million visitors to Washington and the National Mall’s Tidal Basin area, is set to begin Saturday, March 28th, and will run through Sunday, April 12th.   

This year, the NPS and partner organizations will provide two enhanced welcome areas for visitor information, as well as food, gifts and book sales.  Both areas—the  Thomas Jefferson Welcome Area, located near the Memorial, and the Tidal Basin Welcome Area, situated on the north side of the Tidal Basin—will be staffed daily from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. by park rangers, National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc. staff, and volunteers, who will answer questions, distribute festival guides and assist visitors. 

To ease parking congestion during the festival, Tourmobile Sightseeing, Inc. will operate a free “Blossom Shuttle” between Hains Point and the Jefferson Memorial, as there are an equal number of cherry trees on Hains Point as there are surrounding the Tidal Basin.  The shuttle will run daily from 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., with nine stops along Hains Point.  This free shuttle service allows visitors to see approximately 2,500 additional cherry trees along Hains Point.  

Other ranger-led interpretive programs include “Cherry Blossom walks,” “’Bloomin’ Junior Ranger” activities, evening ranger-led lantern walks, Cherry Blossom bike tours, ranger-created audio tours, a bike valet in which to lock and secure visitors’ bikes, recycling efforts, and an enhanced First Aid tent organized with partner organizations which will provide volunteer medical personnel, some of whom will rove the Tidal Basin to assist visitors.