What to Know
- Monterey Park's free Cherry Blossom Festival will flower at Barnes Park on April 15 and 16
- The Orange County Cherry Blossom Festival pops in Huntington Beach from April 14-16
- The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana will hold a free family-fun Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival on April 16
When does April, a month that seems to boast more laudatory poems than most, reach its peak April-ness?
Some would argue — gently argue, of course, for April demands a softer approach — that the first full month of spring hits its April-y peak around its middle section, when the afternoons are suddenly warmer and flowers are no longer tentatively opening but rather reaching full burst-a-tude.
This theory that holds plenty of water, or nectar, if you prefer, in Southern California, where mid-April finds California poppies in plentiful profusion as well a marvelous multitude of fruit trees.
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Cherry blossoms are among the spectacular stars in this colorful category, and a number of communities will host blossom bashes in the days to come, an auspicious homage to the traditional festivals that take place in Japan each spring.
Here are three SoCal celebrations with a petal-perfect spirit, a variety of cultural gifts, and other springful sweetnesses.
Monterey Park's free Cherry Blossom Festival is happening at Barnes Park on April 15 and 16. Taiko drumming, a tea ceremony demo, spotlights on Japanese cultural traditions, craft-making for kids, and other joyful to-dos will fill this two-day gathering.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
The Orange County Cherry Blossom Festival in Huntington Beach is a three-day revelry, featuring the Sakura Night Market, cosplay contests, cameos by anime characters, Japanese snacks and sips, ikebana demos, origami, and so much more. It's on from April 14-16 at 7111 Talbert Avenue.
And at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana? A sweet family festival honoring the season of the Japanese Cherry Blossom will take place in the institution's courtyard on April 16. Drumming, mochi treats, the chance to make tissue cherry blossoms, and other fun times are on the schedule.
