Vancouver is on the cusp of spring, with budding cherry blossoms peaking out from the freezing rain, and the city’s largest cherry blossom festival yet lined up for March and April. A symbol of relief from the dreariness of winter and spring renewal, cherry blossoms have become a huge part of the city’s cultural fabric and natural allure. But before we dive into all the incredible planned festivities at this year’s Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (VCBF), it’s worth tracing the city’s history of cherry trees back to the very beginning, exactly 100 years ago.
The story of Vancouver’s sea of pink starts here!
Where did cherry blossoms originate?
Known in Japan as sakura, cherry blossoms are revered across the globe for their delicate yet vibrant beauty, an emblem of Japan’s rich history, culture, and identity. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), sakura were originally used to mark the year’s harvest, symbolizing hope and renewal as one of the country’s most iconic natural symbols.
Typically, sakura are only in full bloom for around one week between March and early May every year, making it a magical moment that is celebrated with viewing parties called ‘hanami.’ After the brief period of full bloom, the small flowers flutter down from their trees, petal by petal, says JNTO.
Similarly, Vancouver’s cherry blossoms come in waves, with varying peak blooms depending on the variety. But how did they get here?
The first cherry trees in Canada
A representative of the VCBF confirms that Vancouver was “one of the first places in Canada to receive cherry trees from Japan.” After crossing an entire ocean in 1925, mayors of Kobe and Yokohama presented them as a gift to the Vancouver Park Board. As stated by the VCBF, 500 trees of the Ojochin variety were gifted for planting at the cenotaph in Stanley Park in honour of the many Japanese Canadian veterans of WWI.
“The 1930s through the ‘50s saw Park Board staff sowing cherry tree seeds in significant numbers thanks to contributions from Japanese Canadians,” reads the festival’s website. “These varied significantly from the usual trees on Vancouver’s boulevards and in parks, which had taken the form of large, stately trees like elms, maples, chestnuts, and planes since the 1800s.”
Since then, cherry blossoms have taken over the minds, hearts, and streets of Vancouver –
They also serve to commemorate the forced internment of 22,000 Japanese Canadians in 1942 and the injustice they suffered. A few years prior in 1935, local business owners and philanthropists Bunjiro and Kimi Uyeda donated an additional thousand cherry trees in anticipation of Vancouver’s golden jubilee. However, they never got to see them grow, as it wasn’t until April 1942 that the cherry trees were planted – just months after the family was forcibly relocated to Kaslo along with so many others.
Today, Vancouver’s cherry trees signify the resilience and generosity of Japanese Canadians and the Japanese government.
When will the cherry blossoms bloom in 2025?
While Greater Vancouver typically sees multiple waves of pink starting mid-March, you may already have spotted a couple of budding and blooming cherry blossoms. And if you haven’t yet, don’t worry – flowering pink canopies are soon coming to a neighbourhood near you!
First up on the bloom calendar are the ‘Whitcomb’ cherries, which have already started blooming across multiple neighbourhoods in Vancouver, Richmond, North Van, and Surrey.
From March 12 to March 31, 2025, cherry blossoms will be blooming at the following locations:
Varieties in bloom during this period include Whitcomb, Akebono, Umineko, Shirotae, Tai-haku, Somei-yoshino, Accolade, Pandora, and Rancho.
Those who navigate to the VCBF map can search by bloom date or neighbourhood throughout the season.
The ‘biggest Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival yet’
You’ll definitely want to mark your calendars for this one. The 2025 festival kicks off with a couple of pop-up events on March 26, followed by the highly-anticipated Big Picnic at David Lam Park on March 29, 2025.
Three Blossoms After Dark events are planned for March 28, 29, and 30, 2025, transforming David Lam into an illuminated promenade of cherry blossoms with performers, food trucks, and interactive activities.
April kicks off with the first-ever Blossom Block Party on April 5, 2025, an all-day, free to enter celebration of the season from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bentall’s Centre’s open-air Dunsmuir Patio! The all-ages event will feature live DJs, a pop-up bar, dance performances, snacks, and social spaces.
On April 12 and 13, the two-day Sakura Days Japan Fair will take over VanDusen Botanical Garden, bringing together a mix of Japanese traditions, including live performances, culinary offerings, and Japanese theatre and crafts.
Oh, and fingers crossed that Bike the Blossoms will be back after its cancellation last year! Stay tuned for more info on festival programming to come.
Viewing tips
Ready to bookmark some of the most stunning trees and spots for cherry blossoms? Here are just some of the 500+ ‘favourited’ spots on the festival map to check out as each variety blooms:
- Shaughnessy – Accolades in Angus Park on Angus Dr. and Alexandra St.
- ‘Umineko’ trees on Sophia at 20th St., near Edward Park
- Several ‘Akebono’ to the right as you enter Queen Elizabeth park on 33rd from Cambie St.
- A dozen ‘Shirofugen’ in the cemetery near 41st St. and Fraser St.
- Fairview – Several ‘Ukon’ on a mound at Charleston Park at False Creek
- More than 100 ‘Akebono’ trees at Gary Point Park, Richmond
- West End / Stanley Park – grove of ‘Akebono’ on the lower side of the Rose Garden in Stanley Park
Destination Vancouver adds that Queen Elizabeth Park, VanDusen, and Nitobe Memorial Garden at UBC are among the most popular spots for roaming the cherry blossoms. So if you’re hoping to snap a photo at one of these hotspots, make sure you plan accordingly.
As always, remember to respect the environment and nearby residents during your photo-ops, refraining from climbing any trees, breaking off branches, or stopping in the middle of the street. The lure of a beautiful cherry tree in full bloom is hard to quell, but there are ways to enjoy the season without disturbance.
So come rain or shine (but probably more rain…), it’s time to experience the magic that is the very beginning of cherry blossom season.
Enjoy, Vancouver!
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