The National Cherry Blossom Festival may be over, but bloom season is just getting started.
Spring in D.C. is still vibrant despite the end of the cherry blossoms’ peak bloom at the Tidal Basin.
This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival concludes this weekend with events including the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival and parade (except for the Anacostia River Festival on May 17). However, the presence of the cherry blossoms remains in the District as many restaurants, hotels and gardens keep the pink and white energy alive for the season.
If you’d like to experience any type of bloom regardless of the season, the U.S. Botanic Garden has dozens of exhibits perfect for pictures and learning more about horticulture. It’s also running its annual orchid show.
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The National Arboretum is also a good choice. Dogwoods and lilacs are appearing, and some species of cherry trees are in bloom. Here’s a self-guided cherry blossom tour.
Cherry blossom-themed food, drinks and pop-ups
At MITA, enjoy their cherry blossom-inspired cocktail, the Sakura Maru, which includes a hint of raspberry syrup and lemon juice, topped with a layer of aquafaba for only $18.
El Cielo will serve freeze-dried cherry cones filled with cherry blossom cream, sakura shoyu gel, cherry sorbet and a chocolate branch to celebrate the season.
Numerous restaurants on The Wharf have Cherry Blossom-inspired food from Toastique’s cherry blossom smoothie to Fat Fish’s cherry blossom and ube soft-serve. Check out if your favorite bar or restaurant on the Southwest Waterfront is celebrating the season here.
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Ciel Social Club
The cocktail menu at Ciel Social Club offers drinks such as the lychee martini and the Japanese black Manhattan for customers while they surround themselves with cherry blossom-inspired decorations. Arlington-based designer Kat Flowers Design and Decor crafted the seasonal scenery inside the rooftop lounge and restaurant with expansive views of the U.S. Capitol dome, Washington Monument and downtown D.C. It’s on top of the AC Hotel Washington DC Convention Center in Mount Vernon Triangle.
The Bloomroom
Hi-Lawn, located on the rooftop of Union Market, features The Bloomroom inside their Dome. The newly cherry blossom-fied dome has floral artwork projections created by D.C. artist Chris Pyrate and Australian digital artist Laura Alice.
Sip from a full menu of flower-adorned cocktails and mocktails ($8-$15), then munch on elevated, bloom-covered small plates that scream spring, including a salmon tartine and arancini with pea puree ($13-$22).
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Each $35 ticket gets you inside The Dome for a 90-minute journey through bloom-filled scenes. Food and drinks cost extra.
It’s mostly for those aged 21 and up, but younger folks can go to the noon shows on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are available here.
The Fairmont Hotel in Georgetown will host their final Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea on Sunday, April 13. The tea will include a variety of sandwiches, sweets and drinks for people of all ages. Tickets are $110 for adults and $65 for children ages five through 13.
ARTECHOUSE’s Blooming Wonders exhibit
ARTECHOUSE DC’s Blooming Wonders exhibit transports visitors into a floral utopia with digital, interactive environments to celebrate spring and honor the cherry blossoms’ short-lived prime moment.
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Calico’s Birdcage in Bloom pop-up in Balgden Alley will end for the urban backyard this Sunday.
For the month of April, head to Adams Morgan and Jack Rose Dining Saloon’s open-air terrace with cherry blossom specials every Thursday through Saturday.
Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.
Dozens of Iowa National Guard soldiers leaving Iowa today will spend the next six months serving in Washington, D.C..
Last August, President Trump issued an executive order declaring there was an epidemic of crime in the nation’s capitol and he immediately mobilized National Guard troops from the District of Columbia. The Pentagon then started asking state guard units to deploy to D.C. and made a request of Governor Kim Reynolds last year. “They asked earlier and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.
In May of last year, nearly 2000 Iowa National Guard soldiers were deployed to the Middle East. The final group of those soldiers returned to Iowa last month. Reynolds said the Pentagon “circled back” recently and asked her to send a group of Iowa Guard soldiers to D.C. and she’s deployed 120 Iowa Guard soldiers to D.C. “to ensure the safety and security” of people who are in the nation’s capitol, “especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th birthday of our country,” Reynolds said, “and so we were able to participate and do our share.”
Reynolds told reporters the federal government will pay the entire cost of the deployment. Reynolds will speak this morning at a private send off ceremony for the Iowa Guard soldiers before they leave for D.C. There were over 5000 National Guard troops in Washington this past Sunday, including 185 from Nebraska and over 100 from Minnesota.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — One hundred and twenty members of the Iowa National Guard are leaving Friday for Washington, D.C., where they will assist with security measures and America 250 celebrations at the request of the Trump administration.
Reynolds initially said no
Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had previously declined the Trump administration’s request, citing the strain of one of the state’s largest recent deployments.
“They asked earlier, and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt that we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.
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Nearly 2,000 Iowa National Guard members had spent a year or more deployed to the Middle East. Those soldiers have since returned home.
Guard members now available following Middle East return
With those troops back, Reynolds said Iowa was in a position to fulfill the president’s request.
“We have them all back. They circled back, especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th uh birthday uh of our country. And so we were able to participate and do our share,” Reynolds said.
Different states have sent National Guard members to Washington, D.C., since last August.
Reynolds said the federal government will pay the costs of Iowa’s deployment to Washington, D.C.
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Copyright 2026 Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON – Metro riders are seeing changes Thursday morning as WMATA adjusts its shuttle bus system following concerns about long lines and confusion tied to the Red Line summer shutdown.
Express shuttles to North Bethesda will now only pick up on Wisconsin Avenue near the Trader Joe’s. Local shuttles serving Bethesda, Medical Center and Grosvenor have been moved to the Friendship Heights Metro station, while some regular Metrobus routes are picking up on Western Avenue.
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Red Line Shuttle Service Updates
• Local shuttle boarding will be relocated to Bus Bay K – the current C83/D96 bus stop on Wisconsin Ave. • C83 and D96 buses will be relocated to the bus shelter on Western Ave near Wisconsin Ave. • Express shuttle boarding will remain in the 5300 block of Wisconsin Ave NW.
What we know:
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FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick says Red Line riders say the shutdown has added time to their commute, though many are trying to stay positive. The shuttles connect North Bethesda and Friendship Heights through September 6, when Purple Line construction is expected to wrap up.
Metro Red Line summer shutdown leads to long shuttle lines
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
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The workaround relies on dedicated shuttle bus lanes along northbound and southbound Wisconsin Avenue/355 and up to Rockville Pike. But truck drivers, delivery drivers and passenger vehicles have been stopping or parking in those lanes, forcing shuttles to go around and slowing traffic.
Metro and Montgomery County police have increased enforcement to keep the lanes clear. Metro Transit Police say they asked more than 60 drivers to move out of the bus lanes in the first days of the shutdown.
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Metro is also adding about 100 parking spaces at Friendship Heights in the former Lord & Taylor garage. Some Montgomery County riders are opting for the MARC train downtown instead.
Metro’s Red Line shutdown is now in full effect: Here’s what you need to know
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
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The Source: Information in this article comes from WMATA and previous FOX 5 reporting.
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