Botanic Garden's Cherry Blossoms Blooming Too Early for Fest

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival isn’t until the weekend of April 28th and 29th, but with this year’s mild weather, the cherry blossoms may be blooming too early, says the Daily News.

The warm weather has caused the blossoms to peak at least a week to 10 days ahead of schedule for the 32nd annual fest, the garden’s head arborist Chris Roddick, told the News.

“They could be raining down petals,” by the time the festival comes around, Roddick told the News, “which is almost as beautiful as seeing them on the trees.”

The date for the Cherry Blossom Festival, which features about 22 flowering trees and draws more than 70,000 visitors, is set a year in advance, says the article.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., April 28-29, and also features Taiko drumming, martial arts, manga artists, J-pop, tea ceremonies, a cosplay fashion show, bonsai demonstrations, Minbu folk dance, a kids’ origami workshop, sudoku and more.

The event is free with garden admission, which is $5 higher on those two days: $15 for adults and $10 for senior citizens and students. Children under 12 and garden members are free.