Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival 2016



Yes, the cherry blossoms around the tidal basin in Washington, D.C. are quite beautiful and blooming now. BUT, New Jersey has more cherry trees than Washington D.C. , so if you want to see the largest cherry blossom collection in the United States head to Branch Brook Park.


Branch Brook Park runs through Belleville and Newark, has more than 2,700 Japanese cherry blossom trees that burst into full bloom during the annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival
which for 2016 will be held April 9 - April 24.

You can check out the park's webcam to get a peek at the status of blossoms.



Each year about 10,000 people visit during the blossoming period and marvel at the beautiful colors of pink and white.

The park's cherry trees arrived in 1927, when Caroline Bamberger Fuld donated 2,000 cherry blossom trees to the Essex County Parks system in memory of her late husband.

Branch Brook Park also holds the distinction of being the first county park in the United States opened to the public. It was designed by the famed landscape architectural firm of Olmsted Brothers, a successor to Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park in New York City.

Check out the festival activities at essexcountyparks.org



If you can't make it there for the cherry blossom in April,
the park is worth visiting in any season of the year.


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