As the cherry blossom season comes to a close, the National Cherry Blossom Festival invites residents and visitors to celebrate spring with colorful balloons, floats, live musical performances and celebrity entertainers at the annual parade.
The festivities are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at noon.
Parade Performers
Walt Disney World’s Mickey and Minnie Mouse will kick off Saturday morning’s parade as the grand marshals.
Performers include nationally acclaimed television stars, musicians and actors. This year’s line up includes: Lisa Ann Walter, Freedom Williams, Thelma Houston, Michael James Scott, Leah Marlene, Omar Jose Cardona, Parajita Bastola, Carson Kressley and many more.
Marching bands from across the country will also perform, and local broadcasters from 7News will broadcast the event.
Where to Watch
Everyone can watch the parade along Constitution Ave. NW between 9th & 15th Streets NW. These sections will be free and open to the public on first-come, first-served basis.
A limited number of telecast section tickets, located on the east end of the parade between 7th – 9th Streets NW, are available for purchase for $40.
Some grandstand tickets are also available for purchase for $25. These tickets will be seated in the west end section between 15th and 17th Streets NW. All grandstand attendees must present a physical printed ticket at the venue.
You can learn more about the telecast and grandstand experiences and purchase tickets to attend here.
Road Closures and Parking
Parking at the event will be limited and all attendees are encouraged to utilize public transportation. You can view parking options and reserve a spot in advance here.
Streets surrounding the parade route, 7th through 17th Streets NW off Constitution Avenue, will be closed the morning of Saturday, April 15.
Additionally, the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival will also occur this weekend and Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 7th streets NW will be closed both Saturday and Sunday.
Sarah Payne is a reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@hillrag.com.
