For a few fleeting weeks each year in March and April, pink blossoms gather along neighborhood sidewalks, frame the Peace Plaza in Japantown and dust park lawns like pastel snow.

In Japan, sakura — cherry blossoms — have been celebrated for more than a thousand years. Hanami, or flower-viewing celebrations, date back to the ninth century in Japan and were made popular among the aristocracy.

Today, the arrival of cherry blossoms is celebrated not only in Japan but worldwide, including in U.S. cities like Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. And in the Bay Area, the City’s Japantown fills with pink petals and festivalgoers for the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival – now in its 59th year.

Keep reading for what to know about visiting the 2026 Cherry Blossom Festival, and other places to spot blossoms.