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‘It brings out joy’: Tourists and locals react to the National Cherry Blossom Festival parade

By Jimmy Alexander
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Thousands from around the region and around the world lined up on Constitution Avenue NW on Saturday for the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade.

Marching bands, floats, dance teams, military personnel, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the Washington Nats’ Racing Presidents, and a massive panda and Shrek, all took part in the annual parade that marks the end of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

WTOP spoke to locals who made their first trip to the parade, along with tourists who traveled from as far as Japan to see what makes this event so special.

Lewis and his family made their way from Laurel, Md., to join in on the fun.

“It brings out joy, there’s different nationalities. We’re not even worried about politics. We just come together and enjoy the parade,” said Lewis.

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National Museum of the American Latino to be housed in historic Smithsonian building

By Neal Augenstein
The Smithsonian Institution has decided to put the National Museum of the American Latino into an existing, historic building, rather than constructing a new one. The Smithsonian Board of Regents on Monday designated the Arts and Industries Building, a 145-year-old redbrick Victorian structure located between the Smithsonian Castle and the Hirshhorn Museum, as the permanent site of the National Museum of the American Latino, which Congress authorized in 2020. In 2022, the Smithsonian narrowed its survey for permanent locations for the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum to four locations near the National Mall on land owned by the National Park Service. The Arts and Industries Building, located at 900 Jefferson St. SW, was one of the four sites. New construction on National Park Service land would require congressional approval. However, since the Smithsonian already owns the Arts and Industries Building, the institution can place the National Museum of the American Latino in the existing building without additional legislation.
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