2017 Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Starting in 1968, the festival serves to cultivate the continued alliance between Japan and United States using culture as its bridge.
The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival said to be the second largest festival outside of Washington, D.C., celebrates the blooming of cherry blossoms at one of three remaining Japantowns in the United States.
Each year, over 200,000 people attend this dazzling display showcasing the color and grace of the Japanese culture and the diversity of the Japanese American Community.
2017’s Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 8-9 and April 15-16. All are welcome to join in the festivities to celebrate the Japanese American culture in San Francisco’s Japantown!
The festival will be held with the borders of Laguna and Fillmore Streets and Geary and Bush Streets. Many food booths, cultural performances, martial arts, live bands, the annual Queen Program. The Grand Parade will be held on Sunday, April 16, beginning at 1pm starting from City Hall and concluding in Japantown.
This event is free and open to the public. Vendors will be charging for their food goods and some retail products; and some specialized events will require a fee.
