Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2020
byLocals know, that about now the Accolade cultivar is sprouting in the West End and at English Bay but it will take just a few more weeks for the Akebono puffs to pop. There are 54 different varieties of flowering cherry trees that can be found in Vancouver neighbourhoods, with over 43,000 individual trees, and the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates them all.
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2020
When: April 2 to 26, 2020
Where: Various locations
The 14th annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (“VCBF”) presented by Coromandel Properties and Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation officially launches April 2 to 26, 2020 to celebrate the arrival of spring.
Haiku Invitational Contest (until June 1, 2020)
Submit up to two unpublished poems on the theme of cherry blossoms to the internationally acclaimed Haiku Invitational Contest presented by Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel.Participants have the chance for their haiku to be recognized as a Top Winner in six categories, Sakura Award or Honourable Mention. The contest will be judged by Beth Skala (Vancouver), Gary Hotham (USA), and Agnes Eva Savich (USA) and celebrated in creative ways! Over 10,000 entries from 40 countries have been submitted since 2006.
Neighbourhood Maps Show What’s Blooming Now
Report on the cherries! Help keep track of the bloom by tagging @vancherryblossomfest in your social media posts. Or, check out the online Neighbourhood Maps tool and What’s Blooming Now page to discover which favourite cherry blossom hotspots are in bloom.
Cherry Jam Downtown Concerts (Thursday April 2 & Friday April 3, 2020)
Extended two-day Cherry Jam Downtown concerts presented by Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association at Burrard SkyTrain Station. The event is also sponsored by G&F Financial Group and made possible in partnership with TransLink.
BC Blossom Photo Watch (April 2-26, 2020)
BC Blossom Photo Watch presented by TELUS wants to capture your best cherry blossom photos! Submit your favourite cherry blossom moments on social media using both #VCBFBCBW20 and #TELUS hashtags for a chance to win awesome prizes.
Tree Talks & Walks (April 2-26, 2020)
Tree Talks & Walks, a guided exploration of the blossoms at more than nine Vancouver parks and neighbourhoods.
The Big Picnic (April 11, 2020 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm)
The Big Picnic presented by TD Bank Group unites hundreds of cherry blossom fans under the highly Instagrammable blossom moments at Queen Elizabeth Park. A variety of food trucks will appeal to diverse palates and community vendors will have interactive kid-friendly activities for all ages. The event has been extended for an extra hour this year to bring more cherry blossom joy to everyone. Cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak and ban on events over 250 people.
Sakura Night (April 23, 2020 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm)
The 6th annual fundraiser returns on a weekday at Stanley Park Pavilion, and early bird tickets are on sale NOW until March 20th for $125 at vcbf.ca (regular tickets are $150). Enjoy culinary creations from chefs at The Victor at Parq Vancouver, Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver, Chef Will Lew (previously at Fairmont Pacific Rim and Vancouver) and Benkei Ramen. ARC Iberico Imports will also be sampling gourmet Spanish products. Alcohol partners include: Winemaker’s CUT, Salt Spring Wild Cider, Stanley Park Brewing, Central City Brewers + Distillers. The event promotes the work of our charitable non-profit society and to raise money to help fund our free, accessible events focused on “connecting our communities”.
Sakura Days Japan Fair which was to take place April 18-19, 2020 at VanDusen Botanical Garden during the Cherry Blossom Festival will not take place in 2020. The volunteer organization which organizes the event, Japan Fair Association of Vancouver, has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event.
Follow the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more info.
