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Peak bloom is here: DC cherry trees reach final bloom stage

By Abigail Constantino

It’s happening, people! The famous D.C. cherry trees have hit peak bloom. The National Park Service said that the blossoms are open and “putting on a gorgeous show.”

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The final of six stages could not happen on a better day, with warm temperatures in the 70s and a breeze. The area around the Tidal Basin has already been swarmed with crowds, and visitors are urged to take walk, bike or take Metro to cut back on traffic.

A Yoshino cherry tree blossom is seen in the afternoon sun, Thursday, March 23, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
People won’t get a chance to see the cherry blossoms Friday due to the rainy forecast, even though there won’t be high winds, according to WTOP meteorologist Chad Merrill. The next opportunity people have to see the blossoms will be Saturday afternoon, despite winds, which should not bring the blossoms down, Merrill said.

Blossom Kite Festival

Those who enjoyed the cherry blossoms can also check out the annual Blossom Kite Festival this Sunday. It was rescheduled from Saturday due to the expected rain coming to D.C. It will be bright Sunday with temperatures expected to reach close to 70 degrees. The festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday on the Washington Monument grounds, and it’s free to all ages. Attendees can make kites, listen to music, watch performances and even compete. WTOP’s Cheyenne Corin and Chad Merrill contributed to this story.

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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