WASHINGTON INFORMER: Featuring five weekends of food, fun, culture, entertainment and the theme “Spring It On,” the 2023 National Cherry Blossom Festival (NCBF) is all about embracing the beauty of the District’s spring full throttle.
“It really is about going all out and really celebrating those iconic blossoms and so we really do invite people to come out,” said Meg Cohen, NCBF’s director of marketing and communications, at the event’s Pink Tie Party on March 16.
One of the festival’s few ticketed and paid events, the Pink Tie Party is an annual event that serves as a way to ensure other NCBF programming remains free and open to the public.
“This is a fundraiser event, all proceeds go towards supporting our mission, but it’s also a really fun night of food, fun and fashion,” Cohen told The Informer.
Just four days shy of the spring equinox, the Pink Tie Party was the perfect way to kick off spring in the District.
Donning pink and cherry blossom-inspired ensembles, guests were able to make grand entrances into the extravaganza, by strutting their stuff on the runway, and then checking out the many activations throughout the affair. There was so much to take in, such as aerial artists, painters, a fabulous fashion show, drag queens and activations from the likes of Artechouse. As guests experienced exciting moments, they also were treated to cocktails, mocktails and food samplings from restaurants including Dovetail Bar and Restaurant, Planta and many more.
Fashion in the Capital
The fashion show, and truly the outfits worn by all guests, deserve special praise.
“Tonight, fashion’s at the forefront and it’s just a really fun way to begin spring,” Cohen said during the kickoff event.
Local philanthropist Annie Totah, co-chair of Diplomacy and Fashion’s 2022 “First Fashion Gala,” said the Pink Tie Party was “truly fabulous.”
“We can truly state [that] Washington, D.C., is a center of international fashion designers,” Totah said. “Eat your heart out, New York.”
As some of the District’s dignitaries, socialites, business people and residents schmoozed, drank booze, took pictures and danced the night away, there was also a clear message: Spring is in the air.
“This evening is so wonderful. And the food is amazing and diverse, and the drinks are amazing and diverse. It’s just a wonderful experience to be out in D.C.,” said Sue Clabsy, who came along with her sister and said she hadn’t had a night like that in years.
The Pink Tie Party is geared towards offering guests like Clasby a new bloom in life.
“Through fashion, through food, those are different ways to experience life. Spring is about that renewal and kind of embracing life, and that’s something that we’re really trying to capture here tonight,” Cohen explained.
Festival Offers D.C. Pride and Plenty to Do
Jennifer McClennan, Clasby’s sister, noted it particularly feels good to live in the DMV during cherry blossom season.
“I love when the cherry blossoms bloom because it feels like such a Washington insider thing. You have to be here in town when the peak bloom happens so I think it’s a wonderful thing to celebrate,” said McClennan, whose daughter, Abigail McClennan, is a sophomore at James Madison University and a Cherry Blossom Princess this year.
The cherry blossoms in bloom are exclusive. District residents and visitors alike only have a short period to appreciate their fleeting beauty.
“It’s the only time of the year where you can see D.C. just like this, so it’s the sort of thing where we just don’t want people to miss out. We try to find ways for as many people to get involved and engaged and have as much fun as possible,” Cohen said.
For Gerren Price, director of the District’s Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), the Pink Tie Party and the entire NCBF is a symbol of the District’s strength, vitality and beauty of its offerings.
“Being here tonight is all about celebrating this festival, it’s celebrating the fact that we’re back. D.C. is open, businesses are open and we’re seeing more and more people flocking to downtown, which is a huge win for the whole city,” Price told The Informer.
Cohen said the festival offers “something for everyone.”
“We work with over 35 organizations, to put on over 60 events, so whether you’re looking for something learning more about Japanese culture, particularly since the gift of trees is from Japan. If you’re looking for something that is an outdoor event, or something like an Artechouse, there’s so many options.”
The cultural exchange is McClennan’s favorite nuance and she hopes to tap into a lot of programming as part of the 2023 festival.
“I’ve really been paying attention this year and they have the kite festival… and we’ve bought tickets to the Japanese street festival and to view the parade from the bandstand, so I think it’s really a fun celebration of D.C. and it’s a wonderful celebration of the cherry blossom trees and its relationship with Japan,” she said.
There’s the Tidal Basin Welcome Area and Ana Stage, hosted by the National Park Service running until April 2; the opening ceremony and Blossom Kite Festival on March 25; Petalpalooza, a day packed with entertainment on April 8; and the NCBF Parade on April 15 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Gem for Washingtonians
Price noted that Washingtonians should definitely enjoy the festival’s offering, “because it’s in our backyard.”
“People come from around the world, they plan their entire vacations around enjoying this cultural asset,” he said.
If going to the festival, Cohen reminds locals and visitors alike: “To help take care of the blossoms, do not touch or climb the trees.”
“We want them to last for generations and so we want to protect them,” she added.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from now until April 16. For more information, go to nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.
PHOTO: **FILE** The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from now until April 16, featuring fun programming for D.C. residents and visitors of all ages. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
