Celebrate Spring at the Home of the Cherry Blossoms

Updated March 26, 2024

Celebrate spring at the Home of the Cherry Blossoms®! 

The Wharf neighborhood is the closest destination to the cherry trees at the Tidal Basin and East Potomac Park, making it the perfect spot to visit while you're enjoying the cherry blossoms, museums, and all DC has to offer.

The Wharf has:

🌸 Over 80 shops and restaurants where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, or desserts. 

🌸 Four hotels that make the perfect home base while you're in DC.

🌸 The closest public restrooms to the Tidal Basin (view The Wharf map).

The Wharf is DC's most exciting waterfront neighborhood. Popular with locals and visitors alike, the beautifully designed spaces, top-notch restaurants and lively events offer something for everyone. It's where DC meets.

Located along the Potomac River, and facing dozens of cherry trees along the water, every spot at The Wharf has an incredible front-row seat to the beauty of spring. Admire the blooms as they reflect off the water while you enjoy blossom-inspired food, drinks, and shopping.

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There are many ways to immerse yourself in blossoms at The Wharf:

Celebrate with Bloomaroo®, The Wharf's Spring Festival

NEW DATE: Saturday, March 30 from 2:00pm - 9:00pm.

Due to the inclement weather forecast for Saturday, March 23, BLOOMAROO HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY, MARCH 30.

Experience our free cherry blossom–themed festival on March 30 with live music, art, games, and water activities—all capped off with a fireworks finale at 8:30pm. Enjoy family-friendly activities including face painting, balloon animals, koi kite making and more. Try a drink at the blossom bar on District Pier. Toast some s’mores at our fire pit. And dance to live music on the District Pier and Transit Pier stages!

Learn more about Bloomaroo

Sip on Cherry Blossom-Inspired Cocktails

March 23rd - April 14th

Visit participating Wharf restaurants to enjoy their delicious cherry blossom-inspired cocktails featuring Nikka Whisky or Luxardo Cherry. Vote for your favorite cocktail and enter for your chance to win a $200 restaurant gift card.

View our list of participating restaurants

Peep the Petals from a Kayak

March 29th - April 14th

Experience the beautiful cherry blossoms in a new way – from the water! Reserve your spot for the Boating in DC guided Cherry Blossom Kayak Tour. Learn about our nation’s incredible history while taking in some of DC’s most majestic sights while paddling along the waterfront. Tours depart from The Wharf Boathouse on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Spots are filling up fast!

See the Blooms from a Boat

Set sail with City Cruises: DC's Water Taxi and dinner cruise boats glide along the Potomac River and offer a serene way to experience the cotton candy–colored shore. During Bloomaroo, the Odyssey is offering cherry blossom–themed dining cruises. Potomac Paddle Club is offering private cruise experiences for groups of up to 16-20 passengers. Book now and get 15% off by using code BLOSSOMS15 at checkout! This code is valid for any Potomac Paddle Club bookings from March 23rd - April 7th.

Book a Blossom Bike Tour

Celebrate the arrival of spring with an exclusive Guided Blossom Bike Tour by Unlimited Biking at The Wharf! See the natural beauty of our Nation’s Capital from a bike, e-bike, or children's bike. Take beautiful photos while enjoying the monuments and memorials along the National Mall. The two-hour tour departs from The Wharf at 10am and 2:30pm daily from March 15th - April 12th.

Explore the Cherry Blossoms at East Potomac Park

Located just a five-minute walk across the Case Memorial Bridge, East Potomac Park is DC's best kept cherry blossom secret. This serene island parkland has a wide variety of cherry trees along the waterfront, offering some of the city's best cherry blossom views—without the crowds. Prepare a picnic with food from Wharf restaurants, or rent a bicycle or roller skates from Unlimited Biking at The Wharf and zip around the island's 4.1-mile paved loop trail for in-depth views of the blossoms.

2024 Peak Bloom

This year’s Peak Bloom—meaning 70% of the cherry tree buds are open—will be March 23-26. Experts at the National Park Service closely monitor the trees and regularly offer updates as Peak Bloom approaches. Learn more at the Cherry Blossom Watch website.  

Think Pink with a Blossom-themed Getaway

The Wharf’s hotels are a great home base to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms and all that DC has to offer. Book an overnight stay and extend your festival fun!

A number of our bars and restaurants are celebrating the blooms with cherry blossom-themed drinks and food. Stay tuned for details on their blossom-focused treats!
 

Getting Here

There are plenty of ways to travel to The Wharf for some cherry blossom fun.

Metro
The Wharf is within walking distance of two Metro stops:

The Waterfront Metro (green line) is one block from The Wharf. When you arrive at the Metro station, head west on M St SW and you'll walk directly into The Wharf.

The L’Enfant Plaza Metro (blue, orange, silver, green, and yellow lines) is an eight-minute walk from The Wharf. When you arrive at the station, exit at 7th and Maryland Ave SW, then walk south on 7th St SW. You can also catch the Southwest Shuttle at 7th and Maryland Ave for door-to-door service from L’Enfant Metro to The Wharf--just look for the pink SW Shuttle signs.

Southwest Shuttle
The free Southwest Shuttle makes a continuous loop between The Wharf, L’Enfant Plaza Metro, L’Enfant Plaza Parking, and the National Mall, where you can also see trees in bloom. Visit the SW Shuttle webpage to see real-time updates about the shuttle's route, current location, and next arrival time.

Water Taxi
The Water Taxi offers cherry blossom views coupled with a relaxing ride from Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria, and National Harbor, Maryland. Get a ticket and see the cherry blossoms from a new angle.

Parking
There are three parking garages located onsite at The Wharf. There are also two additional parking garages at L’Enfant Plaza. However, during season blossom season when traffic will be especially heavy, visitors are encouraged to make use of public transportation and transportation options via our waterways.

For more information on transportation to The Wharf, visit our Getting Here page.