Source Visitor Guide - DNU - Washington DC Official Visitor Guide Spring/Summer 2024

There’s Only One Capital Spring

2024-02-21 07:57:17

From blossoms to baseball to beautiful parks and beyond, DC is the ultimate springtime destination.

NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

The citywide celebration commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees to DC by the mayor of Tokyo.

MAJOR EVENTS

Opening Ceremony: March 23

Day of multicultural performances at Warner Theatre (free ticket required)

Blossom Kite Festival: March 30

Free kite-flying extravaganza on the National Mall

Petalpalooza: April 6

Free family-friendly event with art installations, live music and fireworks on the Anacostia River

Parade: April 13

Elaborate floats and ebullient marching bands traverse Constitution Avenue (ticketed)

Sakura Matsuri: April 13-14

Japanese street festival with cultural groups, art vendors, food booths, contests and live programming (free)

MORE SEASONAL ADVENTURES

There are so many ways to fill a spring day in the nation’s capital.

• See blossoms beyond the Tidal Basin at Dumbarton Oaks, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the U.S. National Arboretum

• Hike or bike along the 11-mile Capital Crescent Trail or the 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail

• Take a tranquil stroll through formal gardens at Hillwood Estate or Tudor Place

• Catch MLB’s Washington Nationals in action (home games begin April 1)

• Groove to a free show at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage

Insider Tips

Presented to DC 70 years ago this spring, the two-ton Japanese Stone Lantern located north of the Tidal Basin is the city’s oldest free-standing, man-made stone structure outdoors.

Peak bloom: Typically takes place between the last week of March and the first week of April. Visit washington.org/spring for the latest info.

PARKS & GARDENS

DC bursts with possibilities for outdoor recreation.

ROCK CREEK PARK

• Twice the size of Central Park in NYC

• 13 miles of horseback riding trails

• 25 tennis courts

• 18-hole public golf course

U.S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM

• 451 acres of natural beauty

• Features 22 Corinthian columns that supported the east portico of the U.S. Capitol when it was first built

• Miniature trees in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

• Plants from the Arctic and subtropical regions in the Gotelli Conifer Collection

KENILWORTH AQUATIC GARDENS

• Ponds filled with 500-year-old lotus and water lilies

• Home to over 250 species of birds

• Access to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail

• Ranger tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m.

U.S. BOTANIC GARDEN

• Oldest continually operating botanic garden in the U.S.

• 28,944-square-foot Conservatory with two courtyard gardens and 10 glassed-in garden rooms

• Hundreds of orchid specimens on display

• Two-acre Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens with breathtaking fountain, flowers and sustainable garden designs

SPRINGTIME AWAITS

FOR MORE SPRING ACTIVITIES, VISIT WASHINGTON.ORG/SPRING

©Washington-DC. View All Articles.

There’s Only One Capital Spring
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