Washington cherry festival to fully return, bloom peak in 3 weeks

Washington’s renowned cherry blossom festival will return to its full-fledged pre-pandemic form, with this year’s predicted March 22-25 bloom peak coming earlier than usual due to the unusually warm winter, organizers said Wednesday.

The annual festival, commemorating the 1912 gift of cherry trees from Tokyo to Washington and the longtime friendship between Japan and the United States, will run from March 20 to April 16.

Diana Mayhew, president of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, said she expects the number of people coming to the upcoming celebration, featuring a parade, concerts and man...