Petal Porch Parade

The National Cherry Blossom Festival has created an innovative way to celebrate the beauty of the cherry blossoms (safely) through its inaugural Petal Porch Parade—an invitation to decorate porches, balconies, windows, front yards, sidewalks, or any area visible from the street with symbols and imagery representing cherry blossoms, the color pink, or springtime. The festival invites dwellers of apartments and condos to participate alongside homeowners in D.C. and its suburbs. Create family-friendly decorations by using your imagination to work with materials and supplies found around the house. Salvage your thrift store castoffs and bring them back to life with new paint and adhesives to create large visuals that can be seen from the street. Use weather-friendly media such as MDF board, PVC tubes, wood, or artificial flowers, and make sure to add sealants to any delicate media, such as fabric. The festival and full Petal Porch Parade are taking place from March 20 to April 11; register for free by March 15 to be added to the official Petal Porch Parade map and receive an official lawn sign (while supplies last.) Make sure to have your chosen area fully decorated by noon on Saturday, March 20, and keep it decorated until 7 p.m. on April 11. On that weekend, the Petal Procession of cars painted by local artists will drive through select neighborhoods with the greatest number of registered Petal Parade participants. Registration is available at nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Free.