Students travel to D.C. for day

Student Activities, along with a packed bus, spend a day in the Capitol celebrating the Cherry Blossom Festival

Washington, D.C. is in the midst of celebrating more than 100 years of friendship between Japan and the United States with the 2014 Cherry Blossom Festival. Activities began March 20 and will continue through April 13, according to the festival’s website.

Starting on the first day of spring and continuing for the next 25 days, D.C. offers a wide variety of ways and specific celebrations for the 1.5 million visitors to enjoy the blossoms, including concerts, contests and craft fairs, according to Danielle Davis, communications manager of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

BLOOM — At the festival, there were crafts for children, such as Japanese fishing flags, and several military bands played throughout the day. Photo credit: Dale Carty II

BLOOM — At the festival, there were crafts for children, such as Japanese fishing flags, and several military bands played throughout the day. Photo credit: Dale Carty II

“We have four outstanding weekends across 25 days that celebrate spring across the country, and we welcome people from all over to step into spring with us,” Davis said.

One of the festivals that took place Saturday, April 5, was the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival along the Potomac River. The Waterfront Arena allowed visitors the opportunity to browse through local arts and crafts including festival T-shirts, paintings and posters.

The Water View Park was alive with the sounds of music and laughing children as they explored the activities set up just for them. Young festival-goers were able to test their sailing skills at the model boat-making and launch station before decorating and flying a traditional Japanese fishing flag in the waterfront breeze. Stages were set up throughout the festival for live performances from bands such as The United States Navy Band and Bach 2 Rock, according to the website.

Liberty University’s Student Activities and Center for Multicultural Enrichment provided students with access to the festival April 5.

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“I’m excited to see the cherry blossoms and D.C.,” Liberty student Elizabeth Loncar said. “It would be exciting to see what other things are offered. It’s fun to go explore.”

Even though the cherry blossoms were not fully in bloom, students were able to enjoy the other attractions that were offered.

“I liked looking at the other art and jewelry from the locals,” Liberty student Kimberly Higgins said. “I enjoyed the cool weather and the beautiful outdoors.”

The festival has taken place annually since 1927, 15 years after the first cherry blossom trees arrived in Washington, D.C. According to the festival’s website, the first trees actually arrived in 1910 as a gift from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo in celebration of the friendship between the countries, but the trees were diseased. In 1912, 3000 healthy cherry blossom trees arrived in D.C., and the first two were planted by the Potomac River by the First Lady and the wife of the Japanese ambassador.

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The festival officially became a tradition in 1927 when a group of American children reenacted the first ceremony and other activities, according to the website.

“Each year, we commemorate the gift and mark the start of spring across the country,” Davis said. “The festival is a community celebration, and the entire city gets involved …”
For more information about the Cherry Blossom Festival and the remaining activities, visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

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