Vancouver’s 20th hanami
Vancouver’s Cherry Blossom Festival turns 20 and runs March 26–April 17 — organizers expect the biggest season yet, positioning the city as a North American hanami alternative. If you’re avoiding Japan’s crowds, this is the major nearby option for timed blossoms. (straight.com)
Founder Linda Poole remains the festival’s creator and artistic director, while Andrea Arnot is listed as executive director; organizers say the program has welcomed more than one million visitors since its launch. (vitamagazine.com (vitamagazine.com); createastir.ca (createastir.ca)) Organizers added a first-ever Blossom Run — a 7-kilometre fun run co‑hosted with The Right Shoe that includes shoe demos, prize draws and a waitlist for entrants. (dailyhive.com (dailyhive.com)) The Big Picnic at David Lam Park has been expanded into a two‑day signature event, and the Blossom Block Party will expand onto a car‑free Dunsmuir Street with a Public Disco lineup that names DJs Sakiko Nagai, Kozue, Nina Mendoza and Beiti. (vancouverisawesome.com (vancouverisawesome.com); dailyhive.com (dailyhive.com)) Vancouver Whitecaps FC will stage a Cherry Blossom Match at BC Place on March 15 with a 1:30 p.m. PT kickoff, and the club reported more than 22,000 tickets sold for that matinee as part of festival season tie‑ins. (whitecapsfc.com (whitecapsfc.com); whitecapsfc.com (whitecapsfc.com)) The festival is releasing a commemorative haiku collection titled Blossoms in the Breeze and has partnered with Fluevog for a sakura‑themed heel sold at a February fundraising night where 50 percent of proceeds support festival programming. (vitamagazine.com (vitamagazine.com); createastir.ca (createastir.ca)) To bolster tree health, the Vancouver Park Board plans to replant eight cherry trees at David Lam Park and one at Queen Elizabeth Park this season, and the festival’s multi‑year presenting sponsor is TD Bank Group under the TD Ready Commitment. (jayminter.com (jayminter.com); curiocity.com (curiocity.com))
