Festival Concludes with the National Cherry Blossom Parade (photos)
By • April 15, 2019 0 3642
Gray skies gave way to sunshine and warmth just in time as the District’s celebration of Spring, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, concluded on Saturday, April 13, as marching bands, floats, dance troupes and giant helium balloons marched 10 blocks up Constitution Ave. for the Cherry Blossom Parade.
Immediately following the parade, the U.S. Navy Memorial hosted the 29th Annual Blessing of the Fleet, a centuries-old tradition that protects sailors from the dangers of the sea. Each year, starting in 1987 when it was dedicated, the Navy Memorial blesses the water in its outdoor fountains with water from the Seven Seas and the Great Lakes.
While the spectacular white Yoshino cherry trees surrounding the Tidal Basin have shed their blossoms, a few of the Kwanzan flowering variety, the showiest of cherry trees, were exploding in spectacular pink. (Kwanzan trees typically bloom about two weeks after Yoshino trees.)
Though it’s sad to see the cherry blossom season end, our attention can now focus on the tulips which can be seen in abundance around the National Mall and on Capitol Hill.
View Jeff Malet’s photos from the National Cherry Blossom Parade by clicking on the photo icons below.
Click the links below to see related photo essays by Jeff Malet:
National Cherry Blossom Lantern Lighting Ceremony (April 7, 2019)
Blossom Kite Festival (March 30, 2019)
National Cherry Blossom Opening Ceremony (March 23, 2019)
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- Strawberry Shortcake Balloon (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Yuki Tatsumi, 2018-2019 Japan Cherry Blossom Queen and 2019 National Cherry Blossom Queen Tilea West (Washington State) Photo by Jeff Malet.
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- The Tamagawa University Dance and Tiako Group (Tokyo, Japan) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- George Washington Univsity Navy ROTC (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Creekview High School Band, Canton, Georgia (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Chelsea High School Band, Chelsea, Alabama (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Chelsea High School Band, Chelsea, Alabama (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Gregory Guard Military Drill Team (Virginia Tech) members Nathan Sicheri and Desity Simmons Harper (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Getting ready to march are Tyasia and Alysia from the Colleton County High School Band, Walterboro, South Carolina (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- The Tamagawa University Dance and Tiako Group (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Cherry Blossom Princess Iaroslava Zonova representing Russia (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Yuki Tatsumi, 2018-2019 Japan Cherry Blossom Queen (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- SN Haley Napolitano, SN Mariacher and AN Brittany Becks get ready to march with the Navy Ceremonial Guard Marching Platoon (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- U.S. Marine PFC’s Rico and Koole prepare to march in the parade. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Cherry Blossom Princess Aliah Kei Manglona representing the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- National Children’s Chorus (DC Chapter) sings “Over the Rainbow” (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Cherry Blossom Princess Margaret O’Connor representing Delaware (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- National Cherry Blossom Princesses take a selfie before the parade (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Elise gets ready to march for the Creekview High School Band, Canton, Georgia (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Honorary Grand Marshal Anthony Anderson, star of ABC’s “black-ish” (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- U.S. Air Force Marching Platoon (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Washington Wizards Dance Team (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Creekview High School Band, Canton, Georgia (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Olivia the Pig Baloon (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Cherry Blossom Princesses Float (Natl. Conference of State Societies Princesses Prog.) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Cheer Bear “Care Bear” Balloon (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin sang “God Bless America” in front of the National Archives Building and the American Flag (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Dancin’ on the Avenue All-Star Dance Team (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Grand Finale featuring hundreds of dancers (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Seneca Valley High School Band, Harmony, Pennsylvania (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- United States Army Marching Platoon (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- United States Navy Ceremonial Guard Marching Platoon (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Washington Wizards Dance Team (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- The Tamagawa University Dance and Tiako Group (Tokyo, Japan) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Shinsuke J. Sugiyama is the current Japanese ambassador to the United States (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Shin Koyamada, Honorary Grand Marshal (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Gregory Guard Military Drill Team (Virginia Tech) (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- CAS Cheer & Dance (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Seneca Valley High School Band, Harmony, Pennsylvania (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Colleton County High School Band, Walterboro, South Carolina (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Rayshun LaMarr of The Voice singing “Don’t Stop Believing” (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Miss Maryland 2019 Adrianna David (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- National Cherry Blossom Festival Youth Choir sings “This is Me” (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin sang “God Bless America” (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Christina Wells from “Americas Got Tallent” sings “We Are Family” (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Washington Redskins Cheerleaders (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Washington Redskins Cheerleaders (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Grand Finale featured hundreds of dancers (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Grand Finale featuring hundreds of dancers (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- U.S. Navy Seaman Kyle Wilson pours water from the ‘Seven Seas” into the fountains at the U.S. Navy Memorial Blessing of the Fleet ceremony on April 13. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Robert P. Burke shakes hands with 96 year old Navy veteran Peter Keenan during the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial on April 13. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Only a few cherry trees, the Kwanzan, are in full bloom around the Tidal Basin on April 12. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- Only a few cherry trees, the Kwanzan, are in full bloom around the Tidal Basin on April 12. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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- The Floral Library, a flower garden patch planted by the National Park Service near the northern end of the Tidal Basin, is a great way to see multiple varieties of tulips blooming all at once. (April 12, photo by Jeff Malet)
