Words: Abby Vall

The trees are budding and the temperature is rising to seventy degrees in the middle of March, throwing a huge curveball at Maryland. That curveball is that Spring is quickly approaching, meaning the cherry blossoms are coming out. The flowers bloom in Washington D.C where an annual festival is held to celebrate.

The Cherry Blossom Festival is a weeklong event in Washington D.C., where beautiful blossoms can be found by famous monuments like the Jefferson Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Junior Fayyaz Zaidi shared that taking a stroll through the National Mall “was like nothing I have ever seen…it was so enticing that we spent around [two] hours just observing the true beauty of it.”

People from all over Maryland, and other countries and regions, come to see the beauty that visitors like Zaidi talk about.

Zaidi’s first time at the festival was in 2008 and he continues to go with his family. He said, “It was the mixture of the jubilant weather and the overall beauty of the flowers that made me want to keep going.”

When the sun starts shining consistently throughout the day, the buds bloom into a marvelous sight for all to see. There are other events going on while the flowers are out, like the Japanese Cultural Festival that senior Claire Lee attended. Lee found it convenient that both events were happening at the same time, and took advantage and enjoyed both.

Some students, like junior Carolina Requejo, have never been to the festival but look forward to going someday.

“[I] would be ecstatic to finally see the famous cherry blossoms,” said Requejo.

The Cherry Blossom Festival is a breathtaking sight for many students and Requejo shares, “It would be a great family trip and a once in a lifetime opportunity I’d love to experience with my family!”

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