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Akebono shines in Stanley Park

At the rose garden in Stanley Park, Akebono cherry trees are full of buds. The blossoms will reach peak bloom in a few days, just in time for our Tree Talk and Walk on Sunday April 7.

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Meanwhile, at the entrance of Stanley Park, Akebono trees are in full bloom. The blossoms are glowing in the sun.

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Check out the Akebono in your neighborhood this week-end to be covered with petals. Or, better, attend The Big Picnic at Queen Elizabeth park on April 13. There will be food, music, dance, and blossoms

Happy cherry blossom viewing!

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Cherry Jam Photos Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Festival kicks off with concert under blossoms

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off today with Cherry Jam, a noon-hour concert at downtown’s Burrard SkyTrain station featuring memorable performances.

After a word from the festival’s creative director Linda Poole, Zimbamoto took the stage with contemporary African music.

 

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Katari Taiko featured a battle of taiko drums.

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Sporting pink socks, the newest member of the festival’s executive team presented the Ornamental Cherries in Vancouver and introduced the next performers, NoriNori. The duo performed an energetic rendition of Sakura Sakura on the shamisen and taiko.

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MNGWA surprised the audience by starting with a very lively adaptation of The Simpsons TV show.

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On the concourse, vendors were providing information and tea samples.

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And, of course, the blossoms were there.  The green leaves had started to come out, which means the petals were falling gently on the crowd who was gathered to admire the blossoms.  This was a perfect beginning, considering the  the theme of this year’s festival is ‘Petal by Petal’.

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Check the festival’s community events page which list tons of activities to enjoy the blossoms such as a Big Picnic, Sakura Days Japan Fair, Bike the Blossoms, a haiku contest, and more!

Happy cherry blossom viewing!

 

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Okame blossoms will brighten your day

Can you believe these are actually cherry blossoms?

Okame cherry tree

Okame cherry trees look totally different than other cherry trees with their small dark flowers on a long calyx tube.

Okame cherry blossoms

Okame trees are currently in bloom right now. It’s a rare cherry tree in Vancouver so it’s worth a visit.

Okame cherry tree

This tree is in Burnaby on Charles street (corner Fell), but there are other Okame in UBC,Kitsiliano, etc. Search the neighbourhood map to find an Okame near you.

 

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Vancouver City Hall Gets Accolade

Kick off your cherry blossom viewing season with a visit to Vancouver City Hall to see the beautiful Accolade cherry blossoms and get your iconic photo of Captain George Vancouver pointing at the blossoms!

Accolade cherry blossoms at Vancouver City Hall Accolade cherry blossoms at Vancouver City Hall Accolade cherry blossoms at Vancouver City Hall

It’s a busy location so visit on the week-end or in late afternoon (when city hall is closed) for a better experience.

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Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

A Playground for Pandora

At Mount Pleasant park, you’ll find this adorable Pandora cherry tree. It has small blossoms with just a hint of pink at the tip of the petals.

Pandora cherry blossoms at Mount Pleasant Park in Vancouver Pandora cherry blossoms at Mount Pleasant Park in Vancouver

Did you know Pandora cherry blossoms don’t lose their petals? It’s the whole flower that falls to the ground. Check on the grass and you’ll see them.

Pandora cherry blossoms at Mount Pleasant Park in Vancouver

Mount Pleasant Park is located at 15th and Manitoba, but there are plenty more Pandora trees around the city. Use the neighbourhood map to find them.

(Tip: The four Pandora trees are looking spectacular behind the Brentwood Mall right now.)

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Cherry Scouts Photos

Playtime under Whitcomb cherry trees

Whitcomb cherry blossoms at McSpaden Park Vancouver Whitcomb cherry blossoms at McSpaden Park Vancouver

McSpaden Park is a great destination if you want to see Whitcomb cherry trees this week. You’ll find about ten trees planted along Victoria Drive. Part of the canopy hangs over the fence, offering a nice picnic spot.

Besides cherry blossom viewing, there are also plenty of options for outdoor sports and a playground for the little ones.  When I arrived on a cloudy Saturday morning, the crows were occupying the soccer field, the tennis courts were busy, and a dog walker was sitting on a park bench enjoying the view.

Whitcomb cherry blossoms at McSpaden Park Vancouver Whitcomb cherry blossoms at McSpaden Park Vancouver

Among the fallen flowers, I found a Whitcomb blossom with a petaloid. A petaloid is a small, unformed, sixth petal occasionally found on young flowers (such as Akebono). The petaloid usually falls off at an early stage, so you rarely see them. It was the first time I saw a petaloid on a Whitcomb flower.  It was quite exciting… like finding a four-leaf clover.

Petaloid on a whitcomb cherry blossom

The cherry petals will start falling soon, so visit your local Whitcomb cherry trees this week. Find them on the neighbourhood map.

Next: it’s almost time to see Accolade and Akebono flowers, so keep checking the Blog and Blooming Now page for more news. And don’t miss our Cherry Jam downtown concert under the beautiful canopy of Akebono trees at Burrard skytrain station on April 4nd.

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Cherry Scouts Photos

Early Bloomers

Vancouver Whitcomb cherry trees at Nicola park

“The three straggly ‘Whitcomb’ at Nicola Mini-Park are also showing signs of pink. ” – (Willard)

When this posting went up on the VCBF Neighbourhood Blogs forum on January 12, I felt a shiver of excitement down my spine: “Cherry blossom season has begun!”

The Whitcomb cherry trees at Nicola Park are one of the first cherry trees to bloom in Vancouver. When their tiny, deep pink cherry blossoms are open, it officially marks the start of our “pink wave” here in Vancouver (a pink wave that will reach its peak during the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival in April).

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Whitcomb cherry blossoms are blooming mid-February to mid-March.  They purple pink flowers are small and photogenic.  Use the Neighbourhood Maps to locate a Whitcomb tree near you, grab your camera, and rejoice: Vancouver cherry blossom viewing has begun!

[Photos: Jessica Tremblay]

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Photos Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Spring Lights Illumination

It was a magical evening as Hfour illuminated Queen Elizabeth Park cherry trees for Spring Lights Illumination. Lights were projected on the canopy, lanterns were glowing, and giant mirror balls reflected the blossoms.

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Interpretative dancers performed under the lit up trees. A walkthrough experience allowed visitors to move from under the canopy to various pathways.

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The pathways lead you back to the canopy where you could enjoy more illuminations.

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Thank you for joining us.

Check the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival website to see more information about events and activities.

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Arts & Crafts Haiku Merchandise Photos Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Sakura Days Japan Fair 2018

Sakura Days Japan Fair gave visitors a chance to experience Japan with hands-on workshops (calligraphy, origami, haiku) and amazing performances.  What a fabulous week-end!

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Several tree talks and walks were lead by Van Dusen garden volunteers. There were lots of cherry trees to talk about including the beautiful tai-haku (great white cherry).

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The winning haiku from the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational 2017 were displayed in the garden for everyone to read and enjoy.

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At the Haiku House, you could attend a workshop, try your hand at writing a haiku, make a button, or take a guided walk to the haiku rock.

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The food was a major draw.

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Outdoor demonstrations included the forging of Japanese knives by knifewear.

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If you preferred to be inside, you could visit the vendors and pick up a petal mat or guide to Ornamental Cherries in Vancouver at the VCBF table.

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People gathered on the hill, sitting on petal mats, to watch the show on the cherry stage.

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During her calligraphy demo,Kisyuu disappeared behind the canvas to paint the back of the canvas while the picture was slowly revealed to the audience at the front.

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Hojo Hand-Crafted Samurai Armor Corps grabbed visitors’ attention as they walked to the stage to perform an elaborate play in full costumes.

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Two performers from Japan, Keita Kanazashi on the Japanese Drum and Kohei Honda on the shamisen, drew a big crowd with their amazing energy.

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Outdoor performances kept us dancing until 7 pm.

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The event ended with lantern procession from the Cherry Stage to the Visitor Centre.

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Sakura Days Japan Fair is two-day festival organized by the Japan Fair Association of Vancouver as part of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. It took place at the Van Dusen Botanical Garden.

People who attended Saturday were able to walk over to Queen Elizabeth park to see the Sakura Illuminations.

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Akebono skyline at 5th and Lillooet

Don’t hesitate to go cherry blossom viewing, even on a cloudy day, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned is that cherry blossoms won’t wait. When it’s time for the petals to fall, you want to be there. Rain or shine, it will still be spectacular.

There are two rows of akebono cherry trees at 5th avenue and Lillooet. A bonus feature is that you get the highrises of Burnaby’s Brentwood area in the background.

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This location is very close to 6th and Slocan where you’ll find akebono forming an archway over the street, so you should visit both.

Visit the Festival Neighbourhood maps to see what’s blooming in your area.

Happy cherry blossom viewing!