Smithsonian American Art Museum Presents In-Person and Virtual Programs as Part of the 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is collaborating for the 12th year in a row with the National Cherry Blossom Festival for a series of in-person cherry blossom-themed public programs. The museum’s cherry blossom family activities and celebrations are part of its hands-on program series, designed to spark learning, creativity and appreciation for the arts.  

The museum’s popular Cherry Blossom Celebration for children and families will be presented in person Saturday, March 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weather permitting, the event will begin on the museum’s F Street plaza with a Japanese taiko performance by the drumming group Nen Daiko. Other performances in the museum’s courtyard include an all-vinyl music set of Japanese soul, funk, boogie, pop and disco by Les The DJ. More information is available on the museum’s website. Attendees can create their own cherry blossom-themed crafts and explore the museum’s galleries during a spring-themed scavenger hunt. Seasonal treats will be available for purchase at the Courtyard Café. This program is free, but registration is encouraged. 

Two cherry blossom-themed in-person workshops, presented as part of the museum’s series “Beyond the Studio,” are scheduled for Sunday, March 23, and Sunday, April 6, both at 1 p.m. Washington, D.C., maker Miri Artyukhina of Capitol Stich Co. will lead participants through embroidery basics and skills required to create a festive spring artwork inspired by cherry blossoms (cost $15); space is limited, and advance registration is required.  

Additional family activities are available on the Family Zone webpage, including seasonal crafts, coloring pages inspired by artworks from the museum’s permanent collection, videos and more. During the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the museum is presenting Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi and Miné Okubo,” which honors three trailblazing Japanese American women artists. The women were three of the most active and critically acclaimed American artists of Japanese descent in the years that had been underrecognized within 20th-century American art history. The exhibition is free and is on view through Aug. 17.

About the Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the flagship museum in the United States for American art and craft. It is home to one of the most significant collections of American art in the world. The museum’s main building, located at Eighth and G streets N.W., is open daily (closed Dec. 25) from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The museum’s Renwick Gallery, a branch museum dedicated to contemporary craft, is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W. and is open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Check online for current hours and visitor information. Admission is free. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Smithsonian information: (202) 633-1000. Museum information (recorded): (202) 633-7970. Website: americanart.si.edu. 

About the National Cherry Blossom Festival 

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the world’s great celebrations of spring. The 2025 festival takes place March 20–April 13 and includes four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty and community spirit. Leadership Circle Sponsors for the 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival are Events DC, Amazon and ANA, All Nippon Airways. Mark your calendars, save the dates for the 2025 festival signature events. Visit NationalCherryBlossomFestival.org or call 877-44-BLOOM for more information. Get the latest updates via email and follow the festival on social media: Facebook (@CherryBlossomFestival), Instagram (@CherryBlossFest), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest) and YouTube (@CherryBlossFest). View all events on the website.

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