Hello all!

I can’t believe it’s been a little over a week since the official end of the Cherry Blossom Festival for 2018. I’m currently going through millennial pink withdrawal and miss looking forward to all the fun themed food and events.

This was actually my first spring in DC for the festival. I had been here in the summertime for internships and for Thanksgiving to visit family, but never for the cherry blossoms. I had mentioned on my Instagram in February that I intended to use this Festival as a way to break out of my comfort zone (i.e. groutfits and bloutfits) and immerse myself in DC culture. Honestly, going to all these events with my friends definitely made this city feel even more like home! The Cherry Blossom festival is a huge deal for about two whole months in DC – restaurants have themed food and drinks, stores decorate their windows, and so, so many themed events take place – I felt so grateful to participate in so many new things!

For this post, I’m doing a roundup of all the events I attended along with everything I ate and wore for the festival’s theme.

Cherry Blossom PUB

To kick off the season, I went with a group of friends to the Cherry Blossom Pop Up Bar (PUB) in Shaw. I had been to the Halloween and Christmas themed PUBs, but I have to say this time they knocked the drinks out of the park! The details in each room were so intricate and beautiful – for example, the butterflies on paper lanterns were attached to wires so they fluttered sporadically!

It was cold when I went, so I’m wearing this cute ruffled top from Nordstrom – currently on sale with my ASOS dino bag!

Pink Tie Party

The official kickoff party of Cherry Blossom season is with the annual Pink Tie Party held in the center of DC. Luckily, a few friends and I scored the more wallet-friendly “under 30” tickets that went on sale months before. They sell out quickly, so definitely get them early if you plan on going to this party in the future.

Everything about this night was magical, from the fun music to the surreal blossom projections to the AMAZING lineup of local food. I simply couldn’t choose we had so many food and drink options!!

This Keepsake Dress was the perfect shade of pale pink and the eyelets almost looked like tiny petals! (Similar here)

Petalpalooza

This festival features outdoor concerts, food, giveaways, and little treats all day long on the wharf. I was only able to make it for the very end this year, but watching the fireworks display to fun music was totally worth seeing. I went with a group of friends and we were all dancing and singing along!

Sakura Yume at Artechouse

I had previously been to the Nutcracker installation at Artechouse for Christmas, but I truly enjoyed this one more. “Cherry Blossom Dream” was a calming, curious experience where I simply lost track of time because I was so mesmerized by all of the details and beauty. And the drinks were amazing this time as well!

#FinesinFullBloom

In keeping with the Artechouse and PUB pop ups, I couldn’t pass up this gallery installation in DuPont. I’m always down for supporting female artists, and taking a break to see her work was a fun addition to my basic weekend schedule. She took something everyone hates in DC – absurd parking tickets – and turned it into something everyone loves. These parking fine-blossoms are her first pop up and I’m already planning on going to the next one!

Newseum Nights in Bloom

My final big event for the festival was at the Newseum. A friend and I tapped into their discounted membership rates a few months ago, and those discounts also came with free Nights in Bloom tickets. We couldn’t have gotten a better deal! There was amazing food, music, and SO many different activities at this gala. We watched dancers perform traditional Japanese dances and had the option to get a personal haiku or lip reading done. We also had a blast using this time to go through the museum exhibits at night.

Dress: J Crew | Shoes: Nordstrom | Earrings: The Geisha House

Tidal Basin/Mall viewing

The must-do activity above all else is to walk along the mall and view the cherry blossoms in peak bloom. Even though it was quite chilly, I braved the cold to see the blossoms and it was completely worth it! They are simply stunning.

Food: some of my personal seasonal favorites

Milk Bar City Center’s rose cherry cookie

Ted’s Bulletin cherry blossom pop tart

Laudurée’s cherry blossom macaron

I Ricchi’s special dessert Delicata di Cilegie (AMAZING)

The Hamilton’s specialty cherry drink “Washington’s Cherry Temple”

Sakura Mochi from Matsukawaya DC and Teaism

I hope you all enjoyed this run down of the wonderful Cherry Blossom Festival events I went to. I’m already looking forward to next year!

xoxo

Parisa