Cherry Blossom Festival

Each Spring, locals and visitors alike head to San Francisco’s Japantown to celebrate the heritage and cultural traditions of the Japanese and Japanese-American community as part of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. 

The Spring festival marks the arrival of spring and cherry blossoms in famously fog-shrouded San Francisco. In Japan, hanami is the centuries-old practice of celebrating cherry blossoms, or sakura, which appear for only a few weeks each year. 

The Northern California celebration is one of the largest cherry blossom festivals outside of Japan, with performances, music, art, exhibits, and a Grand Parade. 

The 2026 SFO Celebrations performance schedule featured Shirley Muramoto, Gen Taiko and Odori, Kiyonomoto Ryu, and Ito Yosakoi/Kazanami.