Celebrate spring at 11th annual Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival

The Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrating its 11h year as a springtime celebration on April 27-28. The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, The Buffalo History Museum, Friends of the Japanese Garden, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, and Music is Art will once again partner to host a celebration of the spring season and cherry blossoms in the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park.

A press release stated, “The festival features exhibits and events that celebrate the longstanding ties between Buffalo and its sister city, Kanazawa, Japan, which has helped maintain the city’s Japanese Garden through the decades. Strolling through the garden along the lake to see the blossoms has become a rite of spring in Buffalo. 

“Dozens of cherry blossom trees bloom directly behind The Buffalo History Museum in the Japanese Garden, creating one of the most iconic scenic vistas in Western New York – and the perfect backdrop for a spring festival. The festival has grown exponentially since first debuting in 2014, now attracting thousands of visitors each year and solidifying Buffalo’s reputation as a top city to see cherry blossoms.”

This year, festival organizers have scheduled two Japanese tea ceremonies and tea tastings at The Buffalo History Museum on Wednesday, April 24 (now sold out). A portion of the proceeds from the $15 admission ticket for these events will benefit the residents of Kanazawa, which suffered a devastating earthquake in January.

Festival weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at One Museum Court, Buffalo. Admission is free. For a full schedule, visit: https://www.buffalocherryblossomfestival.org/.

The press release added, “Celebrate inside The Buffalo History Museum and outside in the Japanese Garden with cultural displays and activities. Learn about bonsai, origami, folk dolls, and Kanazawa, our sister city in Japan, at activity tables inside the Buffalo History Museum. Enjoy Music is Art’s stages of live music in the Japanese Garden. Stroll in the garden, admire the blossoms and take a ride on the pink boats on Mirror Lake. Grab a bite to eat from a variety of food trucks, and enjoy a pop-up tea ceremony on the museum’s upper portico.”