The white and pale pink cherry blossoms are a beloved part of spring in Vancouver, BC. And there’s no better way to bid goodbye to winter than by enjoying the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, which includes events running mid-March through April and blossoms flowering throughout thanks to the many cherry tree varietals around Vancouver.
The Vancouver Sun prints a cherry blossom viewing map in mid-March. The map, also available on the VCBF site, reveals the best streets with flowering cherry blossom trees in Vancouver. The 2010 festival is canceled due to Olympic events, but that hasn't stopped trees from blossoming.
Where to Find the Best Cherry Blossom Viewing in Vancouver
Vancouver's streets and avenues boast wonderful displays of blooms during the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. The longest stretch, marked on the Bike the Blossoms map, runs along 7th Avenue from Yew St. in Kitsilano to Main St. in Mount Pleasant.
Other great viewing areas include:
- Side streets near Britannia Community Centre on Commercial Drive
- Union and East Pender streets in Chinatown
- Side streets south of Queen Elizabeth Park
- Trafalgar, Balsam and Vine streets to the west of West Boulevard
- The Burrard Skytrain Station
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Events
Events during the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival take advantage of the warming temperatures and Vancouver’s many parks and public spaces. Informational talks guide cherry blossom viewers through Stanley Park and Queen Elizabeth Park. Musical acts add a lovely soundscape to the festival, including haiku set to music and concerts.
The festival has even included a workshop to teach people how and where to pick cherries from the trees around Vancouver.
Bike the Blossoms during the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
From the relaxing vantage of a bicycle, Vancouverites and visitors can view cherry blossoms along a bike-friendly route. The route begins in the parking lot of the VanDusen Botanical Garden and then meanders through avenues and streets, heading north through the West Side, east past Granville Island and down through Chinatown, south parallel to Commercial Drive, and finally back past Queen Elizabeth Park. But cyclists can start at any point along the route.
The event is co-organized by the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival and Slow Food Vancouver with mid-route stops at independent bistros and bakeries. The official Bike the Blossoms day is April 17, 2010, yet bicyclists can enjoy the route whenever the weather is sunny.
For visitors to Vancouver, bike rentals are available at JV Bike (955 Expo Blvd) and Cycle BC Rental (73 East 6th Ave.).
Planning to Attend the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival makes the perfect weekend getaway or a family day trip. Rent a bicycle and tour the city for Bike the Blossoms, or take a stroll and enjoy a patio seat at a café and simply relax.
Even in spring it's still possible to enjoy Vancouver skiing on the North Shore ski hills during March and April. Whichever season visitors choose in the cusp between winter and spring, Vancouver cherry blossoms provide the city with the perfect backdrop.
Chloë Ernst - Chloë Ernst is a travel guidebook author who writes for Frommer's and Globe Pequot Press.
