Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival offers jolly Japanese time in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park

There's no need to travel to Japan, or Washington, D.C., this spring to see cherry blossoms in all their petal pinkness.

Philadelphia is again hosting the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center and Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center.

"The event is free to the public, family-friendly and non-ticketed," the festival organizers announced.

The festival will showcase events throughout April, but the highlights will take place the weekend of April 13-14, Saura Weekend. These include a Japanese fashion walk, "Pretty in Pink" pet parade, traditional dances and an authentic tea ceremony.

Last year, more than 40,000 people attended the event organized by the Japan American Society of Greater Philadelphia and supported by its title sponsor, Subaru of America Inc.

A calligraphy booth will offer the service for take-home souvenirs. A beer garden with pours from Triple Bottom Brewing and karaoke in the beer garden will add to the festivities. And there will be Japanese storytelling, origami helmet making and face painting.

Here are other places to take in the beauty of the spring cherry blossoms around the region:

Along the Delaware River

Visit Philly, the tourism agency for the city, lists a handful of places to find these blooms. They highlight Andalusia Historic House, Gardens and Arborteum for its "nearly two-dozen cherry trees blooming into technicolor each spring. Explore the grounds and see the flowering trees with a self-guided tour." Reservations and tickets are required for a vitist.

Andalusia is the the Delaware River estate in Bensalem that includes a 1797 Greek Revival mansion on its 50 acres. The mansion contains many works of art in addition to its historical books, letters and other artifacts.

In 2020, Andalusia Historic House and Gardens was officially designated an arboretum and is now recognized in The Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s tree-focused public gardens.

Tickets for the grounds are $15 and require advance purchase. Open Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, April 1 to November 8, 2024 (excluding holidays) and Saturdays April 6, April 20, May 18, June 8, Sept. 14, Oct. 26, and Nov. 2. Garden Hours: 10 a m. – 3 p.m. (5 p.m. on Saturdays)

Beauty in Bensalem: She has spent decades preserving and restoring Andalusia. Ready to retire, history will not forget her

In South Jersey

This two-mile stretch in South Jersey is not to be missed in season. Check out Chapel Avenue, between Haddonfield Road and Kings Highway, in Cherry Hill for a scenic canopy. Some reported 1,400 trees greet visitors each year.

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Cherry Blossom Festival attracted more than 40,000 visitors in 2023