Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park 2022

A sure sign that spring has arrived in New Jersey is not the equinox. You can't count on watching for forsythias or daffodils blooming because that happens at different times in different places. But maybe you can count on the cherry blossoms at Branch Brook Park or the Festival. 

A few weeks after the blossoms open in D.C., the largest cherry blossom collection in the United States in our own Branch Brook Park usually opens. The park, which runs through Belleville and Newark, has more than 2,700 Japanese cherry blossom trees.

Things will be starting this weekend even though it has been a chilly week in this part of NJ. 

• The Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race is on April 2nd. No blossoms required. 7am – 1pm Oval, Northern Division
• Cherry Blossom 10K Run Sunday, April 3rd 10am – 12pm Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division 
• 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk Saturday, April 9th 10am – 11am Concert Grove, Southern Division
• Hopefully, it will be warmer and more blooming for Family Day Saturday, April 9th 11am – 3pm Concert Grove, Southern Division 
• Bloomfest Sunday, April 10th 11am – 5pm Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division and Concert Grove, Southern Division 
• There are Cherry Blossom Talks Every Wednesday in April at 11am at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division and there are Historic Cell Phone Tours (973) 433-9047 Available ALL Season 

MORE INFORMATION

newarkhappening.com/cherry-blossom-festival/

essexcountyparks.org/parks/branch-brook-park/calendar/2022-essex-county-cherry-blossom-festival

The park with Sacred Heart Cathedral in the background

Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park

The Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park is a springtime tradition - even if the weather seems to indicate otherwise some days in April.

The more than 5,000 cherry trees that produce beautiful blossoms this time of year is a great place to visit. There are events that take place during the Cherry Blossom Festival and here are some starting this weekend.

Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race
Saturday, April 7th
7am – 1pm
Oval, Northern Division
Race through the Park in the Cherry Blossom Challenge! Various races will occur throughout the morning. Come cheer on the cyclists while enjoying a day in the park. Free to enter the Park and watch!

Cherry Blossom 10K Run
Sunday, April 8th
10am – 12pm
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division
Race through the historic cherry tree groves in this 10K race! The top three finishers in each age category will receive a commemorative fleece jacket. A portion of the race proceeds benefit the Special Olympics. Same day registration begins at 8am. Advanced registration is recommended. Race starts at 10am. Disabled Run starts at 10:10am. Free to enter the Park and watch!

1-Mile Fun Run/Walk
Saturday, April 14th
10am – 11am
Concert Grove, Southern Division
Join your family and classmates in the One-Mile Fun Run, part of our 42nd annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Children can enter individually on race day. All participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt and an award at the completion of the race.

Essex County Family Day
Saturday, April 14th
11am – 3pm
Concert Grove, Southern Division

Bloomfest
Sunday, April 15th
11am – 5pm
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division and Concert Grove, Southern Division
Enjoy a family day in New Jersey’s pinkest park! A packed schedule of events includes Japanese cultural demonstrations, children's activities, live music, a crafter's marketplace, food and more!

Cherry Blossom Bus Tours
Wednesday, April 18 – Sunday, April 22
Several tours each day
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division

Learn more at the Essex County Parks website essexcountyparks.org

Branch Brook Park

Branch Brook Park is a county park in Essex County, New Jersey that is best known for its springtime cherry blossom festival. This oasis in the very urbanized North Ward of Newark (with a portion within Belleville) has as its east side Forest Hill, Newark's longtime most affluent neighborhood. That is also where the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Basilica, one of the largest cathedrals in the United States, is located.

The park has the largest collection of cherry blossom trees in the United States, having over 4,300 in more than fourteen different varieties. Yes, more than Washington, D.C. The Cherry Blossom Festival each April draws many visitors. But its 360 acres has reasons to visit all year, and it is especially pretty in the autumn.

Vintage postcard view of the lake

It was formally created in 1895 by the newly created Essex County Parks Commission, making it the nation's first county park.

It has been placed on both the New Jersey (1980) and National (1981) Registers of Historic Places.

The Morris Canal originally ran on the park's west side. The old path was used for the Newark City Subway.

The park served as Army training ground during the American Civil War when the northern portion of the area had been a marsh known as Old Blue Jay Swamp.

The swamp was converted into a landscaped lake in 1898 when the park was only 60 acres. Private donations from those neighborhood prominent Newark families, including the beer barons of the city, such as the Ballantines, helped it grow to become one of the largest urban parks in the United States.

The Olmsted Brothers were asked to redesign the park at the start of the 20th century and they used a naturalistic design much like their father's earlier designs of Central Park and Prospect Park.

During World War II, the park's grounds served a tent city for recruits. It was also a landing strip for airplanes of the United States Postal Service.

Besides the spring and autumn tree shows, you can see architecturally significant beaux-arts structures: bridges, buildings, gates, and sculptures, including ones dedicated to sports figures Althea Gibson and Roberto Clemente.

The famous spring cherry blossom show

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.

Cherry Blossom Festival Bigger in New Jersey

This weekend will be the peak blossom time for Washington D.C. and the thousands of cherry trees sent there as a gift from Japan more than a hundred years ago. But you don't need to go south to see a spectacular display because Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey has more cherry trees than Washington D.C.

A few weeks after the D.C. display, residents and visitors can see the largest cherry blossom collection in the United States herein NJ. Branch Brook Park (which runs through Belleville and Newark) has more than 2,700 Japanese cherry blossom trees that burst into full bloom during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

The park's calendar shows that activities around the Cherry Blossom Festival begin this weekend, although generally full bloom is later than our southern friends. I took a look at the blossom webcam this morning and the trees still look bare. (Check the webcam for an update)



Essex County Parks festival information
Branch Brook Park website
Branch Brook Park Alliance





Branch Brook Park is the first county park in the United States opened to the public and it was 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.

Named for a branch brook that flowed through the valley into the Passaic River, the stream that remains, and much of the surrounding landscape, still retain a natural appearance. More than 4300 cherry trees that blossom during April are greater both in variety and number than the famed Washington, D.C. display. In 1927, Caroline Bamburger Fuld donated the first 2000 cherry blossom trees to the Essex County Parks system in memory of her late husband.

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GET TO THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS

By Car
You may use the intersection of “Clifton Avenue and Seventh Avenue” for Internet mapping or GPS.

From New Jersey: Take Route 280 East to First Street/Exit 13. Turn left onto First Street. Turn right onto Orange Street. Turn left onto Clifton Avenue. Park will be on the left.

From New York: George Washington Bridge or Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey Turnpike South. Take Exit 15W for Route 280 West. Take Exit 14. Turn right onto Clifton Avenue. Follow above directions.


View Larger Map or get Driving Directions via Google Maps

By Train/Subway
Take NJ Transit or PATH Trains to Newark Penn Station. Board the Newark Light Rail toward either Branch Brook Park or Grove Street. For the Southern and Middle Divisions, exit at Park Avenue. Exit at Bloomfield Avenue to reach the Northern and Middle Divisions; the Northern Division is also accessible from the Davenport Avenue stop. The Branch Brook Park stop provides access to the Extension.

By Bus

A variety of bus routes provides services to Branch Brook Park. These include NJ Transit's bus lines #11. #27, #28, #29, #41, #72, #74, #90, #92, #93, #99 and #108. For schedule information, visit njtransit.com

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NJ Has More Cherry Blossoms Than Washington DC

Looking for some Spring season this weekend?

Washington D.C is famous for the thousands of cherry trees sent there as a gift from Japan more than a hundred years ago, but did you know that Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey has more cherry trees than Washington D.C.?

Every spring, residents and visitors can see the largest cherry blossom collection in the United States there.

Branch Brook Park, which runs through Belleville and Newark, has more than 2,700 Japanese cherry blossom trees that burst into full bloom during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival that features various events for visitors of all ages.

Branch Brook Park is historically unique for 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.

Cherry Blossom Time Signals Spring in NJ

From April 5-13, Branch Brook Park in Newark will again host its spring festival under pink petals to celebrate the Essex County Park System and its beloved collection of cherry trees.

The week’s events include the Cherry Blossom 10K run on April 6, the children’s Fun Run/Walk on April 12 and special trolley tours throughout the park.

The celebration culminates on April 13 with Bloomfest, a free outdoor family-fun day from 11 am to 5 pm, including live music, food vendors, children’s activities, a crafter’s marketplace and Japanese cultural demonstrations.

essexcherryblossom.com

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Essex County Parks festival information
Branch Brook Park website
Branch Brook Park Alliance



GETTING THERE

By Car
You may use the intersection of “Clifton Avenue and Seventh Avenue” for Internet mapping or GPS.

From New Jersey: Take Route 280 East to First Street/Exit 13. Turn left onto First Street. Turn right onto Orange Street. Turn left onto Clifton Avenue. Park will be on the left.

From New York: George Washington Bridge or Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey Turnpike South. Take Exit 15W for Route 280 West. Take Exit 14. Turn right onto Clifton Avenue. Follow above directions.


View Larger Map or get Driving Directions via Google Maps

By Train/Subway
Take NJ Transit or PATH Trains to Newark Penn Station. Board the Newark Light Rail toward either Branch Brook Park or Grove Street. For the Southern and Middle Divisions, exit at Park Avenue. Exit at Bloomfield Avenue to reach the Northern and Middle Divisions; the Northern Division is also accessible from the Davenport Avenue stop. The Branch Brook Park stop provides access to the Extension.

By Bus

A variety of bus routes provides services to Branch Brook Park. These include NJ Transit's bus lines #11. #27, #28, #29, #41, #72, #74, #90, #92, #93, #99 and #108. For schedule information, call 1-800-772-22221-800-772-2222 or visit www.njtransit.com.

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Cherry Blossom Time in Essex County

You can celebrate the blooms of spring by racing, running or walking through Essex County Branch Brook Park.  Some events require advance registration.


Saturday, April 6: Cherry Blossom Challenge
Race through the Park in the Cherry Blossom Challenge, a competitive New Jersey bike tradition, or cheer on the cyclists while enjoying a day in the fresh spring air. Registration fees apply. To register, visit www.bikereg.com


Saturday, April 6: Essex in Bloom Photo Workshop
Celebrate the arrival of spring by honing your photography skills in the cherry tree groves. All levels of experience welcome. Registration fees apply. To register, call 973.377.6454. Sponsored by Unique Photo.


Sunday, April 7: Cherry Blossom 10K Run
Run through the cherry tree groves in this USATF-sanctioned race that benefits Special Olympics of NJ. Registration fees apply to the 10K. To register, visit www.compuscore.com


Saturday, April 20: Essex County One-Mile Fun Run/Walk
The school registration deadline for the annual Essex County One-Mile Fun Run/Walk in Essex County Branch Brook Park is almost here. This year’s fun run/walk will be held at 10am near the Prudential Concert Grove in the Southern Division of the Park. As always, this event is free to participate, but schools should register in advance to guarantee T-shirts for their students.

Branch Brook Park webcam

Cherry Blossoms in Newark

Washington D.C. is famous for the thousands of cherry trees sent there as a gift from Japan (101 years ago, before the World Wars) as a gesture of friendship. But it is far less known that Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey has more cherry trees than Washington D.C.  Every spring, residents and visitors can see the largest cherry blossom collection in the United States there.

Branch Brook Park, which runs through Belleville and Newark, has more than 2,700 Japanese cherry blossom trees that burst into full bloom during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival that features various events for visitors of all ages.

Bloomfest for 2013 is on Sunday, April 14 from 11am – 5pm at the Cherry Blossom Visitor’s Center in the park and is free.

In 1927, Caroline Bamburger Fuld donated 2,000 cherry blossom trees to the Essex County Parks system in memory of her late husband. There are now more than 4,300 cherry trees (600 more than D.C.).

Branch Brook Park is historically unique for 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.

Believe what you will about climate change, but the trees are blooming earlier the past few years. In fact, New Jersey's plant hardiness zone was changed in 2011 based on the warmer winters. In 2012, they started blooming around March 5. In 2010, after a warm spell at the end of March, the trees bloomed by April 1st. The National Park Service reported last year that the D.C. cherry blossoms peaked on March 20th (the third earliest since record keeping began in 1921).

So, it's not too early to think about a visit to the park on a nice, spring day!

Essex County Parks festival information
Branch Brook Park website
Branch Brook Park Alliance



GET TO THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS

By Car
You may use the intersection of “Clifton Avenue and Seventh Avenue” for Internet mapping or GPS.

From New Jersey: Take Route 280 East to First Street/Exit 13. Turn left onto First Street. Turn right onto Orange Street. Turn left onto Clifton Avenue. Park will be on the left.

From New York: George Washington Bridge or Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey Turnpike South. Take Exit 15W for Route 280 West. Take Exit 14. Turn right onto Clifton Avenue. Follow above directions.


View Larger Map or get Driving Directions via Google Maps

By Train/Subway
Take NJ Transit or PATH Trains to Newark Penn Station. Board the Newark Light Rail toward either Branch Brook Park or Grove Street. For the Southern and Middle Divisions, exit at Park Avenue. Exit at Bloomfield Avenue to reach the Northern and Middle Divisions; the Northern Division is also accessible from the Davenport Avenue stop. The Branch Brook Park stop provides access to the Extension.

By Bus

A variety of bus routes provides services to Branch Brook Park. These include NJ Transit's bus lines #11. #27, #28, #29, #41, #72, #74, #90, #92, #93, #99 and #108. For schedule information, call 1-800-772-22221-800-772-2222 or visit www.njtransit.com.

Call

Send SMS

Add to Skype

You'll need Skype CreditFree via Skype

Cherry Blossom Time in New Jersey

The Essex County Park System, located in Northern New Jersey, was founded in 1895 and is the first county park system created in the United States. Most of its sweeping landscapes were designed by the landscape architecture firm of Frederick Law Olmsted--the most famous parks designer of his time.

Essex County Branch Brook Park was conceived by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1867, designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm between 1898 and 1938, and saw its first cherry tree planted in 1927 thanks to a generous gift from Caroline Bamberger Fuld.

The Park is part of the Essex County Park System—the first established county park system in the United States—and is listed on both the National and New Jersey State Registers of Historic Places.

However, a distinguishing characteristic of the Essex County Park System is its springtime blooms. Three magnificent gardens blossom annually in three different parks. Visit Branch Brook Park in April to see our historic collection of cherry trees in bloom. Visit the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in May to see more than 8,000 irises bloom. And visit Brookdale Park in June to see roses bloom.

After learning that many of the original trees were decaying due to old age, Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. initiated a multi-phase program three years ago to plant 4,000 new cherry trees throughout the Park by 2010. These plantings have helped to strengthen and add to a striking cherry tree collection that is recognized as having the greatest variety in the world.

Since 1979, the System has been maintained by the Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. It currently consists of more than 25 parks and reservations spanning 6,000 plus acres and includes major facilities such as the Turtle Back Zoo, the Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain, the Roseland Environmental Center and Kip's Castle Park.

http://essexnjblooms.org/CherryBlossoms.aspx

Cherry Blossom Festival in NJ

The Cherry Blossom Festival is this month in Newark, NJ and is sponsored by the Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs. You don’t need to travel to Washington D.C. to see beautiful cherry blossoms if you live near New Jersey. The Cherry Blossom Festival is at Branch Brook Park and (weather permitting) runs from April 10th to the 23rd attracting more than 10,000 visitors.

Technology comes to the festival this year - check out a webcam that's watching the park blossoms. The park is noted for its 2,700 cherry trees.

Branch Book Park was formally created in 1895, making it the nation's first county park, by the newly-created Essex County Parks Commission. The area had formally served as an Army training ground during the American Civil War and the northern portion of the area had been a marsh known as Old Blue Jay Swamp.

In 1898, a public appropriation financed the conversion of the swamp into a landscaped lake of 60 acres bit it grew in the 1920s through private donations from prominent Newark families, such as the Ballantines, eventually reaching the city limit with Belleville and becoming one of the largest urban parks in the United States.

The Morris Canal originally ran on the park's west side, until its old bed was turned into the Newark City Subway, providing access to the park from Downtown Newark.

The cherry trees were a 1927 gift from Caroline Bamberger Fuld, sister of department store magnate Louis Bamberger. Bamberger was Newark's leading citizen from the early 1900s until his death in 1944.

During WWII, the park's grounds served as a tent city for recruits, as well as a landing strip for airplanes of the United States Postal Service.

If you visit the park, you should also visit the grand houses of the neighborhood on the east side of the park called Forest Hill.

Also on the east side of the park is the Fench Gothic Cathedral of the Sacred Heart which is the fifth largest cathedral in the United States. It has been placed on both the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.

You can help Branch Brook Park regain the title of having the largest and most diverse collection of flowering cherry blossom trees by helping the Branch Brook Park Alliance fund the planting of new trees.

SOME ACTIVITIES THIS MONTH Get a printable program of events.

Sunday, April 5th: 10K Run, 7:30 a.m. Registration
9 a.m. Children's Fun Run
10 a.m. 10K Race
10:10 a.m. Race for the Disabled
This year's race has been sanctioned by the USATF as a NJ Open Women's Championship. Plus, a Children's Fun Run for ages 12 and younger will be held. Registration fees apply. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Special Olympics. Sponsored by Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey. For information, please call 973-268-3500, Ext. 254.

Tuesday, April 14th: Cherry Blossom Gala
Support the Branch Brook Park Alliance by attending this enchanted evening of dinner at Nanina's in the Park restaurant in Belleville. For information and tickets, please call 973-268-2300 or visit www.branchbrookpark.org

Saturday, April 18th: Bike Race 7 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Race through the cherry tree groves in a cycling tradition or cheer on the racers while enjoying a day in the park. Registration fees apply. For information, please call 973-268-3500.

Saturday, April 18th: Nature Photography Workshop
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join Brien Szabo as he leads an indoor/outdoor photography workshop focused on the County's historic cherry tree collection. Cost is $35. Pre-registration is required. For information and registration, please call 973-239-7072.

Sunday, April 19th: Bloomfest 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Enjoy a free, family-friendly festival in the park. A day-long schedule of events is planned, featuring Japanese cultural activities, including demonstrations on origami, bonsai, ikebana and dance. For information, please call 973-239-2485.

Sunday, April 26th: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
7 a.m. Registration
8:45 a.m. 5K Run Begins
9 a.m. 5K Walk Begins
Returning to Essex County Branch Brook Park for the second year, this 5K Run/Walk is a fundraiser for the fight against breast cancer and a celebration of breast cancer survivorship. For information and registration, please call 908-277-2904, Ext. 30 or visit www.komennorthjersey.org/race