The National Cherry Blossom Festival concluded on a magnificent Saturday April 14 with a grand parade down Constitution Avenue .
Only a block away, the Japan-America Society’s Sakura Matsuri Festival, the largest one-day celebration of Japanese culture in the United States, occupied a half mile on Pennsylvania Ave.
Not to be outdone, the United States Navy Memorial was host to the annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony, a centuries-old tradition that protects Sailors from the dangers of the sea.
View Jeff Malet’s photos from these events by clicking on the photo icons below.
Miss America 2018 Cara Mund . (Photo by Jeff Malet)
2018 Japan Cherry Blossom Queen Risako Takenaka and Margaret O’Meara (photo by Jeff Malet)
Cherry Blossom Princesses (photo by Jeff Malet)
Smurfette Balloon sponsored by Events DC (photo by Jeff Malet)
His Excellency & Mrs. Shinsuke Sugiyama, Ambassador of Japan (photo by Jeff Malet)
All Star Dancers (photo by Jeff Malet)
Baltimore Blast Cheerleaders (photo by Jeff Malet)
Washington Redskin Cheerleaders (photo by Jeff Malet)
Miss Maryland 2017 Kathleen Masek. Photo by Jeff Malet.
Jaguar Pride Marching Band of Blue Springs South High School (Mo.) (photo by Jeff Malet)
U.S. Army Honor Company, Presidential Escort Platoon (photo by Jeff Malet)
U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard (photo by Jeff Malet)
Frank W. Ballou High School “Majestic” Marching Knights (Washington DC) (photo by Jeff Malet)
Austintown Fitch Marching Band (Ohio) (photo by Jeff Malet)
Tamagawa University (Japan) Dance Group with All Nippon Airways flight attendants. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Tom Quigley, President, Model A Ford Club (photo by Jeff Malet)
Ashley Blair and Abi Johnston of the Oak Mountain High School Band (photo by Jeff Malet)
Miss Maryland’s Outstanding Teen 2017-Chloe Wildman (photo by Jeff Malet)
“Scoriental Express” of the DC Rollergirls (photo by Jeff Malet)
Gotta Swing Lindy Hoppers Megan Miller and Colin Hall of Centreville Va. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Gotta Swing Lindy Hoppers Bob Toner (Springfield Va.) and Grace Fischetti (Silver Spring Md.) (photo by Jeff Malet)
Bulloch Blues Marching Band (Ga.) (photo by Jeff Malet)
Saraland High School Band (Alabama) (photo by Jeff Malet)
Saraland High School Band (Alabama) (photo by Jeff Malet)
DOMO balloon sponsored by NHK World Japan (photo by Jeff Malet)
Peppa Pig Balloon (photo by Jeff Malet)
Jaguar Pride Marching Band of Blue Springs South High School (Mo.) (photo by Jeff Malet)
Jaguar Pride Marching Band of Blue Springs South High School (Mo.) (photo by Jeff Malet)
Philadelphia High School for Performing and Creative Arts Dancers (photo by Jeff Malet)
Philadelphia High School for Performing and Creative Arts Dancers (photo by Jeff Malet)
Sailors revive the fountains by pouring water from the world’s Seven Seas. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Seaman Pedro DeLeon revives the fountains by pouring water from the world’s Seven Seas. (photo by Jeff Malet)
The Washington Revels perform songs of the sea at the US Navy Memorial (photo by Jeff Malet)
The White House Mess distributes navy bean soup to Will Wurzel of the Washington Revels. (photo by Jeff Malet)
Tamagawa University (Japan) Taiko Drum Group performs on Friday at the National Gallery of Art (photo by Jeff Malet)
Tamagawa University (Japan) Dance Group performs on Friday at the National Gallery of Art (photo by Jeff Malet)
Samurai demonstration at the Japan-America Society’s Sakura Matsuri Festival (photo by Jeff Malet)
Anime at the Sakura Matsuri Festival: Sabrina as Emilia from Ree Zero, and Olivia as Hanayo from Love Live (photo by Jeff Malet)
Paula O’Keefe of Boston Mass, of Japanese Dolls and Crafts at the Japan-America Society’s Sakura Matsuri Festival: (photo by Jeff Malet)