Art in Bloom

Give purpose to your newfound pandemic walking hobby by charting a course to see three of the Art in Bloom sakura sculptures bringing an infusion of kawaii culture to our city streets this spring. There are 26 blossoms painted by 25 artists positioned throughout the region for the National Cherry Blossom Festival—perfect for celebrating spring without crowding the Tidal Basin. Start your 2.6-mile walkabout in Shaw at 1805 7th St. NW. That’s where you’ll find “Petal to the Metal!” by David Greenfieldboyce. The punk-rock looking petals are made out of heavy steel plates, giving the sculpture an overall Game of Thrones feel. Then follow S Street NW until you hit New Hampshire Avenue NW and hang a left until you reach Dupont Circle. That’s where you’ll find sculpture two—”Cherry Blossom Picnic” by Rachael Bohlander—at 20th and Q streets NW. It charms with a brightly colored picnic spread on a checkered blanket. For the final leg, follow Q Street NW into Georgetown until you hit Wisconsin Avenue NW. Turn right and walk toward Reservoir Road NW where Book Hill Park is located. There, pose with the final blossom—“Ice Flavors” by Cory Oberndorfer. The artist says they drew inspiration from strawberry, orange, lime, blue raspberry, and grape ice pop flavors, and each petal is dipped in a different color. Other than exercise and fresh air, you could score an Amazon gift card by following @CherryBlossFest on Instagram or Twitter and tagging your photos with #ArtInBloom through the end of May. The map of Art in Bloom sculptures is available at nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. Social media entries are accepted through May 31. Free.