Cherry blossom florets have burst open in Branch Brook Park, revealing millions of the fluffy pink and white flowers so admired by many.
The park’s 5,300 trees are in peak bloom and should last about a week.
“In general, the bloom period for the blossoms fluctuates based on winter weather,” said Kate Hartwyk, deputy director of the Essex County Park Department. “When we have more snow and cold winters, they tend to bloom in the second week of April as we are seeing in 2025.”
The festival, continues through Sunday, April 13, with lots of ways to enjoy the the beautiful trees in full bloom. The park’s collection includes 18 varieties and is the largest in the nation, even larger than the collection in Washington, D.C.
Thousands of visitors from New Jersey and elsewhere come to see the blossoms. One of those visitors expressed their excitement on Branch Brook Park’s Instagram.
“I’ve booked my flights to visit Branch Brook Park on April 12 and 13. I am really hoping there will be good blooms then. Hope they don’t fall out.”
New Festival Partner
The festival returns this year with a new partner, RWJBarnabas Health. The company is participating in the festival because it has been committed, since post-COVID, to support all public health measures, Hartwyk said.
RWJ Barnabas decided “The Cherry Blossom Festival does this with its physical fitness components of the bike race and the run, but also with the community of wellness by having festivals and bringing our diverse communities together for a fun day that benefits economically the neighborhoods and communities that reach out to the park,” Hartwyk said.
In addition to physical wellness, the festival promotes environmental education and demonstrates a shared commitment between the healthcare system and the county to fostering a thriving community, according to Mark E. Manigan, president and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health, said in a press release.
Building on Sakura, A Japanese Tradition
The setup for this year’s festival will be slightly different, Hartwyk said.
“We’re trying to move performers around throughout the festival so that folks get to see new acts each year,” she said.
“We are looking to build upon the Japanese tradition of the Sakura, which is a springtime tradition in Japan where families come out and picnic and celebrate the return of spring, and we do that by presenting different folk art and cultural arts that come from the Japanese tradition on our main stages,” Hartwyk said.
The original Cherry Blossoms planted at the park were donated to the Park System by the Bamberger and Mrs. Felix Fuld family in 1927. At the time, there were 2,500 trees located within the park. The festival was established in 1976 and is now celebrated annually.
By 2006, the original trees began to die of old age. County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. began an energetic planting program to strengthen the number of Cherry Blossoms still thriving, according to the Branch Brook Park Alliance.
Today, the festival has been transformed from a celebration of nature to a community-driven event focusing on wellness, inclusion and cultural diversity, county officials said.
