The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is set to return to San Francisco’s Japantown for its 58th year, welcoming community members and visitors alike for two weekends of cultural celebration on April 12–13 and April 19–20, 2025. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, guests can enjoy one of the largest and most prominent Cherry Blossom festivals on the West Coast.
Since 1968, this beloved festival has honored the vibrant traditions of Japanese and Japanese American culture while celebrating the arrival of spring in the City. Visitors can expect a lively atmosphere filled with local artisans, nonprofit food booths, cultural exhibits, and performances. While the Japantown Peace Plaza undergoes renovations, the festival will expand onto Sutter Street during the first weekend (April 12–13), offering even more space to explore vendor booths, community activities, and cultural programming.
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WATCH HEREFestivalgoers can immerse themselves in a wide range of attractions across both weekends, including the Sapporo Beer Garden for guests 21 and over, nonprofit bazaar booths, and a showcase of community and sponsor partners. Highlights also include yukata dressing experiences, Japanese culture and craft exhibits, live music and dance performances, and the charming Children’s Cherry Blossom Village.
On Sunday, April 20, the festival will feature a special Senior Appreciation Brunch and the 2025 Grand Parade, which will honor Hibakusha (survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and their descendants. The parade will begin at the Civic Center Plaza and make its way through the heart of the city, ending in Japantown.
For those looking to support the festival further, a community raffle will also be held, with proceeds benefiting future cultural programming. The grand prize? A round-trip ticket to Japan, courtesy of Japan Airlines.
When: April 12-13 & 19-20, 2025
Where: Japantown, San Francisco, CA
Community
For more information, please visit LINK.
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