Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 – Weekend 1

The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival returns in spring 2026 for its 59th year. This is a great event every year that ransforms San Francisco’s Japantown into a celebration of Japanese and Japanese American culture, surrounded by the beauty of sakura (cherry blossoms). I highly recommend going for at least a few hours to enjoy a beautiful event in San Francisco. Join over 200,000 visitors each year for one of these weekends as the streets come alive with pink blossoms.

Event Details:

Dates:

April 11–12
Times: 11AM – 6PM

April 18–19
Times: 11AM – 6PM

Location: Japantown (around Post Street between Laguna and Fillmore Streets, with activities throughout the neighborhood)

Highlights of the Festival

Performances: Traditional Japanese dance, taiko drumming, martial arts demonstrations, live music, koto and shamisen performances, plus modern J-Pop and anime-inspired showcases.

Delicious Japanese Food: There will be a lot of great foods like sushi, takoyaki, ramen, mochi, yakitori and more

Arts & Crafts: Browse unique vendors offering handmade goods, participate in activities like origami, ikebana (flower arranging), tea ceremony demonstrations, bonsai, and traditional doll-making.

Family-Friendly Fun: Interactive areas, games and more

Grand Parade Finale: Celebrate the final day of the festival on Sunday, April 19, 2026 with a Parade marching from Civic Center through the streets to Japantown