The 2007 Cherry Blossom Festival marks the 95th celebration of the original gift of the 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to the people of Washington, D.C. The annual festival helps mark the beginning of spring in the nation's capital. Visitors from around the region and world come to see the blooming trees, parade and other cultural activities.
Story on an Anacostia festival event by Maryland Newsline Photo Galleries: A festival in the sky and The Japanese Street Festival Video overview on the festival from CNS-TV (2 minutes, 1 second, RealPlayer file) Interactive Quizzes on the business of the blossoms and the history of the festival. Web Links from trusted sources

Special Report produced by Maryland Newsline's Jackie Strause, with additional reporting by Newsline's Hortense M. Barber and CNS-TV's Karen Kiley. Banner graphic by Ms. Strause. Web story, gallery and interactive content edited by Chris Harvey; video edited by Cassandra Clayton.

Published April 10, 2007; additional material added April 20 and May 1, 2007.