A Rite of Spring That Flowers for All

Families Drawn to Array of Events

The first official day of spring arrived 10 days ago, but what feels and looks and smells like spring in Washington arrived yesterday.

The city's crown jewels -- 3,000 Japanese cherry trees around the Tidal Basin -- were bursting with pink and white flowers yesterday, just in time for the kickoff of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The Washington Monument, standing at attention among the American flags at its base, was surrounded by multicolored kites that soared and dipped against a cloud-dappled blue sky.

Sightseers took over downtown sidewalks and intersections, and flower beds were awash with purple and yellow pansies poking out of pungent mulch that will nurture the plants until spring melts into summer.

This year's festival, the 96th, honors the 1912 gift of the cherry trees to the United States from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo.

As it has for some years, the festival started with a day of family activities at the National Building Museum, which featured local and Japanese dignitaries. There was also a Smithsonian Institution kite festival on the Mall. For serious kite-fliers, there were competitions in design and performance.

But for Damishia Foster of Waldorf, it was all about a chance to create a beautiful memory.

Foster was making a weekend of the festival, she said. She, her two sons and her goddaughter checked into a downtown hotel Friday night so they could walk to the activities yesterday and today. She bundled the children up in fleece jackets and hats and bought them their first kites. Wearing a pink sweater, a hot-pink blazer and pink- and lilac-colored sneakers, she took them to the Mall.

Yesterday was the sixth birthday of her son, Christian, and Foster said she decided there would be no pizza party at a kid-friendly restaurant for them. "It's so beautiful out here," said Foster, 33, as she helped her 9-year-old son, D'Andre, with his kite.

"Here we are in D.C., in the middle of everything. . . . Everyone is talking to everyone, just fellowshiping," she said. "I came because I wanted to create a moment, a memory for my children. I want to start a tradition."

The family events at the Building Museum featured cultural and musical performances and lessons in making origami and miniature cherry blossom trees out of brown paper bags and pink tissue paper.

Dressed in their blue uniforms, the young members of Cub Scouts Pack 860 -- created less than two months ago by the Muslim American Society and the Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church -- took their first field trip to the family day festivities. They were led by their cubmaster, Ahmed Hegab, and parents. The boys painted masks, created wooden block stamps and made origami cranes.

"Yesterday, they got their first badge, the Bobcat, for learning the Cub Scout promise, law, motto, salute, handshake and sign," Hegab said. "This field trip was their reward. I thought this would be a great way to start our field trips and for them to get understanding of other cultures."

Rob DeFeo, chief horticulturist for the National Park Service, had predicted the cherry trees' blooming period would start about March 24, peak March 27 through April 3 and last about 10 more days. The prediction coincided with the 16-day festival, which brings a million visitors to Washington each year and generates about $184 million in revenue.

One new feature this year is a shuttle provided by the Park Service to show festival-goers the lesser-known cherry trees in East Potomac Park, between the Jefferson Memorial and Hains Point.

The festival culminates April 12, with a parade along Constitution Avenue and the Japanese street fair along Pennsylvania Avenue. It ends April 13.

The schedule can be found at http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.