Cherry Blossom Festival set for first two weeks of April

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The 47th annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival, highlighting the blooming season of the 5,200 Cherry Blossom trees in Branch Brook Park, will be held from Saturday, April 1 to Sunday, April 16.

“The natural beauty of the cherry blossoms has been attracting visitors to the park since they were first planted there in the late 1920s,” Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. “The festival has helped unify the community, highlighted the benefits of Branch Brook Park and the local neighborhood, and enabled the public to enjoy the blooming trees in a variety of ways.”

DiVincenzo said the display of more than 5,200 trees is larger than the national display in Washington, DC, and the most diverse collection in the world.
“We have an exciting line-up of activities where visitors can admire the beauty of the trees, learn about the history of our Parks System and engage in Japanese cultural demonstrations,” DiVincenzo said. “The blossoming trees create a pink and white canopy that is perfect for picnics, photographs and simple enjoyment.”

Branch Brook Park Alliance Executive Director Thomas Dougherty said the event is about more than just the trees.

“What we are doing here is creating economic opportunity for our small business community. We are thankful for all the work being done by the County Executive to steward the land and welcome all the visitors who come here to celebrate life’s precious moments,” Dougherty said Commissioner Patricia Sebold said her son was traveling to Washington, DC, and was looking forward to seeing the national display. “I told him that meant nothing because we have more cherry blossom trees right here in Essex County Branch Brook Park,” she said.

“We love what the cherry blossom display does for Belleville and the surrounding areas. It brings people into our community and helps with our local economy,” Belleville Mayor Michael Melham said.

The 47th Annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival includes the following events:
Cherry Blossom Challenge Annual Bike Races
Various races occur throughout the morning, with the first race at 7 a.m. and the last race at noon. Registration fees apply to racers. It’s free to enter the park and watch. The Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race will be held Saturday, April 1, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Branch Brook Park, Heller Parkway.

Cherry Blossom 10K Run
The Cherry Blossoms provide a beautiful canopy for runners as they make their way through Branch Brook Park. A portion of the race proceeds benefit the Special Olympics. Online registration can be done at www.compuscore.com. Same day registration begins at 8 a.m. Advanced registration is recommended. Race starts at 10 a.m. It’s free to enter the park and watch. The Cherry Blossom 10K Run will be held Sunday, April 2, 10 a.m., Essex County Branch Brook Park, Cherry Blossom Center Fields.

1-Mile Fun Run and Walk
Celebrate the arrival of spring and get fit with your family or friends. Children are encouraged to run individually or as a member of a school team. Schools and groups must register in advance by contacting Jacquelyn Matthews at jmatthews@parks.essexcountynj.org. This is a free event. All participants will receive a commemorative T-shirt. The Fun Run and Walk will be held Saturday, April 15, with 9 a.m. registration and 10 a.m. start, Essex County Branch Brook Park, Southern Division, Prudential Concert Grove.

Essex County Family Day
The public is encouraged to come out and enjoy an afternoon of family-fun with a variety of events including live performances, children’s activities and more. Admission is free but food and other merchandise will be for sale. The Family Day will be held Saturday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Branch Brook Park, Southern Division, Prudential Concert Grove.

Bloomfest
A packed schedule of events includes cultural demonstrations, children’s activities, live music, a crafter’s marketplace, food and more at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center. Additional musical performances will be held at the Prudential Concert Grove in the Southern Division of the park. Admission is free; food and merchandise will be for sale. Because of the ongoing construction of the new Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Bloomfest will be Sunday, April 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Branch Brook Park, Northern Division, Oval, Heller Parkway, with a Second Stage in the Southern Division, Prudential Concert Grove.

Cherry Blossom Talks
These 30-minutes talks will include information about the history of Cherry Blossom trees in the United States, how Cherry Blossom trees grow and the history of Essex County Branch Brook Park. No reservations are needed. Because of the ongoing construction of the new Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, the Cherry Blossom Talks will be held on Wednesdays, April 5, 12, 19 and 26, at 11 a.m., Essex County Belleville Park, Senior Citizen Building, 343 Belleville Ave.

Historic Tours by Cell Phone
This free, self-guided historic walking tour can be accessed by cell phone or smart phone. Spend the day exploring all 72 tour stops or pick and choose your favorites. One call to 973-433-9047 or a scan of the bar code at each tour stop unlocks a world of park history and horticultural information.

People can participate in a fundraising campaign to purchase and plant Cherry Trees in Essex County Branch Brook Park. Each new Cherry Tree can be purchased for $225 from the Essex County Parks Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Contributions to the foundation are tax-deductible, checks can be made out to “Essex County Parks Foundation” and mailed to the Essex County Parks Foundation, 115 Clifton Avenue, Newark, NJ 07104. Please write “Cherry Blossom Campaign” on the memo line of the check.

Donations are being recognized in a “Cherry Blossom Giving Tree” located at the entrance of the Essex County Cherry Blossom Welcome Center. Donations of $225 are recognized with a leaf on the Giving Tree and donations of $1,000 or more are recognized with special plaques on the Giving Tree wall. Donors can choose to have their name inscribed on the Giving Tree or make the contribution in memory of a loved one.

Many of the original Cherry Trees planted in Branch Brook Park were donated to the Essex County Park System by the Bamberger and Mrs. Felix Fuld family in 1927. At one time, there were about 2,500 Cherry Trees in Branch Brook Park.

According to the Branch Brook Park Alliance, the original Cherry Trees began to die because of old age and, in 2006, it was determined the original collection had diminished significantly. County Executive DiVincenzo kicked off an aggressive planting program to strengthen and expand the number of cherry trees. To date, there are more than 5,000 cherry blossoms throughout Branch Brook Park.