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Cherry Blossom Festival

Washington, D.C.’s annual National Cherry Blossom Festival drew thousands of visitors to the Tidal Basin to see the famous buds in bloom. Easter weekend, spring break, and perfect weather made for a busy weekend along the tidal basin. The flowers were a beautiful sight, that is, once you made it to see them. The metro was crowded, it recorded its second highest weekday ridership since Obama’s inauguration. Traffic was heavy, and parking was scares. Many visitors resorted to walking. Lander Gold, aD.C. resident, resorted to walking, but said he didn’t mind. “Been here before; been here, done it – but this is better than ever ’cause it was rainy last year, so it’s beautiful,” Gold said. The National Park Service estimates that about a million people will come out to the festival this year to see DC’s natural monuments.

Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival

The 50th annual Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival closed down six blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday, April 10 so that visitors could get a taste of Japanese culture. The streets were lined with food vendors, stages for musical performances, and tents with displays of Japanese traditions. D.C.’s Japanese Street Festival is the largest one-day display of Japanese culture in the nation. Hundred of thousands have come out over the last few years, and this yera was no exception. John Malott, president of the Japan America society who hosts the festival, said that for this year’s fiftieth anniversary, everything is bigger and better. “We have more performers from Japan than ever which is really incredible,” he said. “Years ago, we basically relied on our local Japanese community for taiko drums and other kinds of things, but we’ve made a major effort over the last few years to get more Japanese performers from New York, from the west coast, and this year we have more performers from Japan than ever before, which is really great.” Visitors waited in long lines to try some of the more authentic items. Sushi tent, Sake tent, and Sapporro beer garden were some of the favorite hot spots. With everything from pop music concerts, to video game tents, to traditional mat-making, the festival had something for everyone while still involving people in the Japanese culture.

March on Washington Protest

On Saturday, March 20, hundreds of people gathered in front of the White House in Lafayette Park to protest against the United States’ involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ANSWER Coalition, (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), organized the event. They also paired with many other organizations and coalitions, all fighting for the same goal. Mahdi Bray, Muslim American Society Freedom Executive Director, said that the real goal is peace, it shouldn’t matter what party you belong to. “I’m for peace, I don’t want the left wing or the right wing. I want the whole chicken,” said Bray. Protestors started the day with a rally in front of the White House. They continued on with a march, led by the war veterans, around downtown DC. People carried signs, flags and homemade coffins covered with american, iraqi and afghan flags. It was reported that eight people were arrested at the end of the march, even though the day remained peaceful up to that point.

Sport Stacking Tournament

Jacobsville Elementary School in Pasadena, MD held a sport stacking competition, where grade school students competed by stacking cups. The contestants use special cups that are more lightweight and durable than normal plastic cups. Tournament Director Judy Schmidt said, “These kids are hot, their sweaty and their having a lot of fun.” The students compete in several events, some individual, some team events. Despite the fact that kids have a good time working up a sweat while they compete, parents say they have seen a difference in their children’s abilities in the classroom. Ritu Dang, says that her two sons, both stackers, have improved their focus and reading skills.

Unexpected Snow Hits DC

Before the big blizzards of February 2010 hit the District, an unexpected storm hit Washington, D.C. in late January. Weather reports told residents to prepare for only an inch of snow at most, but a total of 5.5 inches fell. The snow put a stop to some of the weekends events and slowed travel by car and foot. The Woodley Park region and residential areas in Northwest DC, were affected by the storm. The snow stopped tourists and residents from enjoying their weekend.