Here's how to safely enjoy this year's Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Please note: As recommended by BC’s provincial health officials, gatherings of any kind and unessential travel in the province is not recommended at this time. Please adhere to COVID-19 health and safety measures, including proper physical distancing, frequent hand washing, and wearing a mask or face-covering in public indoor and retail spaces. If you are sick, please stay home. 

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (VCBF), one of the city’s most anticipated outdoor events, is returning for Spring 2021.

Celebrating the city’s beautiful pink cherry trees, it’s a gorgeous sight for Vancouverites after a cold, dark winter.

Francis Cutler/Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

The month-long festival typically takes place over the month of April and spans across Metro Vancouver. While many events, including in-person gatherings, have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate the cherry blossoms and participate in the festival.

@mleholmes/Instagram

Here’s a list of all the events being hosted by the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival this year:

• See also: 
  • Vancouver’s stunning Cherry Blossom Festival returns Spring 2021
  • Mesmerizing “dance bubbles” installed across downtown Vancouver
  • Vancouver’s Van Gogh exhibit adds expanded hours, additional tickets

Soundwalk Dance

Created by artist and artistic producer Desiree Dunbar, and presented by the Downtown Vancouver BIA, Soundwalk Dance invites listeners to put in their earphones and explore cherry blossom trees with audio-based prompts and music.

In Full Bloom

Chief drone pilot Patrick Weir has been working to create In Full Bloom, a drone-filmed short film that will capture Vancouver coming into full bloom. The goal of the film is to “bring the fragile beauty of the cherry blossom into everyone’s home, especially those who are housebound or more vulnerable.”

The film will be available for viewing on April 26, following an exclusive premiere during VCBF’s Sakura at Home.

Sakura at Home

Sakura Night, one of the VCBF’s largest and most prominent events, has transitioned into a virtual celebration. Vancouverites can show support by purchasing tickets to the virtual fundraiser, held on April 25. Local restaurants and top chefs will be curating an exclusive take-out menu specifically for the event and programming. The world premiere of In Full Bloom will also take place.

2021 Haiku Invitational

The Haiku Invitational is an online contest taking place from March 1 and June 1, with submissions from all over the world. The top poems in six categories (including international and youth categories) will receive celebrity readings and be featured in various publications.

BC Blossom Photo Watch

The Festival is inviting photographers to submit their photos as part of an online, virtual mosaic, with the goal of uniting festival participants in an interactive and artistic way.

The mosaic will come to life in real-time as participants submit images, with a final image coming together to cap this year’s festival.

Tree Talks and Walks

This year, VCBF will be hosting virtual tree walks. The festival website features a number of locations where walks were initially scheduled and approximate dates for when the featured trees will be in bloom. If you’re venturing into a residential neighbourhood, be sure to stay respectful for those that live there.

Daily Hive is a proud media partner of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival