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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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Photos

Downtown Akebono Blossoms Looking Great

Easter Week-end is always a great time to go cherry blossom viewing in Vancouver. The Akebono cherry trees are in bloom and looking spectacular.

My favorite location is Georgia and Denman which has a beautiful reflective pool:

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At the entrance of Stanley Park, at Alberni, young akebono will allow you to take close-ups:

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Instead of entering Stanley Park (cherry trees in that location always need a few more days to bloom), I opted to wander in the West-End where you can encounter Akebono in bloom at various street corners, such as here in Nelson and Broughton:

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There are lots of buds in the Downtown trees, which means you still have time to visit. They should be in full bloom within 2-3 days.

Attend one of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival’s Tree Talks and Walks to learn more about cherry trees.

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Cherry Scouts Photos

Whitcomb cherry tree on the seawall (at the end of Denman)

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At the end of Denman street, when you stroll on the seawall towards waterfront, a Whitcomb cherry tree catches your attention with its purple-pink flowers.

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A nearby downtown high-rise building creates an interesting background for photos.

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This Whitcomb cherry tree is located between the parking lot and the seawall so it’s accessible by car, foot, and bicycle.  The tree is about 50% bloomed, so dont’t wait too long to visit. Petals should begin to fall within 7-10 days.

To locate cherry trees in your neighborhood, check the VCBF Neighborhood maps 

Photos: Jessica Tremblay

 

You might also like: pictures of this location in 2014.

 

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Photos Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Sakura Illumination

Sakura Illumination took place in Stanley Park, at the Japanese Memorial, on the evening of April 1 2016. This activity  presented by HFour Design – one of the highlights of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival – was attended by over 3,000 people.

I arrived at the Japanese Memorial around 7.30pm and there was already close to 1,000 people on the site.

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People were sitting on blankets, waiting for the sun to come down and the lanterns to turn on.

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Around 8.00 p.m., the generators kicked in and the lanterns were lit.  The excitement was palpable in the audience.

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Waiting for the night to fall, I visited the Japanese memorial where the Ojichin was beautifully lit.

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Around 9pm, it was night time. Two dozens lanterns were hanging in the Shirotae cherry trees. Some were on low branches so you could have your picture taken with them. There were also Japanese umbrellas with flashing led lights.

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The fully bloomed Shirotae cherry trees were lit up with different colour lights with spotlights. And there was a live projection of moving images on the tree canopy accompanied by music.  It was a beautiful evening.

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Walking back on the seawall, I enjoyed this amazing view of Vancouver skyline.

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A few minutes after I had taken this photo,  hundreds of cyclists – dressed in costumes, their bikes adorned with lights – passed on seawall chanting: “Vancouver Bike Train!” The line of cyclists went on for at least 20 minutes and was quite entertaining to watch.

This fun cycling event reminded me of our upcoming Bike the Blossoms event with Velopalooza on April 9. Join the fun!

Photos: Jessica Tremblay