Peak Bloom Pushed Back Again As Cherry Blossom Festival Begins

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Cherry Blossom Festival is in full swing in Washington D.C. after Sunday's opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony was held from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Warner Theatre. The festival is meant to celebrate the anniversary of the Japan's gift of the trees to the United States.

Performers included T.M. Revolution, Akiko Yano, The 6821 Quintet and the Shodo Girls from Fukuoka Prefectural Yahata Chuo High School.

The ceremony was originally scheduled for Saturday, March 24, but was pushed back a day due to the anticipated crowds for March For Our Lives.

However, peak bloom dates have been pushed back for a second time due to cold temperatures. Despite an original date of March 17-20, it was first pushed back to March 27-31, and now from April 8-12.

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The peak bloom date is defined as the day when 70 percent of the Yoshino cherry trees are in bloom, according to the National Park Service.

Peak bloom is still expected to coincide with the festival. The festival ends on April 15.

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