Real Nova Network by Chris Colgan

Anyone who lives in Northern Virginia knows how bipolar Spring can be. One day, it’s warm and sunny like a good summer’s day. Another, the weather is chilly and crisp as if it’s autumn. As a local, it can make you crave a spring that’s consistent; something reminiscent of what the season is like in the movies: flowers blooming, birds chirping, never-ending blue skies, and sparkly morning dew. Here are a few local events that are good reminders of what’s to come. Though many of these events are still ways away, when they arrive, they’ll ease that perfect spring craving.

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National Cherry Blossom Festival

March 20–April 12

Photo provided by Jack Valley

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If you’ve lived in Northern Virginia long enough, you’ve probably heard of this one. The cherry blossom festival has been around for 91 years since 1935. The event is a commemoration of Japan’s gift to D.C of over 3,000 Cherry Blossom trees. Tokyo’s mayor, Yukio Ozaki, wanted to strengthen the growing friendship between the United States and Japan.

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It was a happy day. There was a marching band, floats, balloons, and music in a big parade that marched through the city. Incidentally, this wasn’t the first attempt at gifting the United States cherry trees. Back in 1910, the city of Tokyo tried to donate 2,000 cherry trees. Unfortunately, they were infected with roundworms, and President Taft had them all burned. Jōkichi Takamine, a Japanese chemist, responded with the larger 3,020 donation. Those cherry trees were cultivated from a group along the Arakawa River, and had a famous lineage in Tokyo.

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On March 21, there will be an opening ceremony. This portion of the festival will feature Japanese and American performers with skills in traditional Japanese arts and modern American cultural talents. Tickets are $5.

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On March 28, there’s the blossom kite activity. This day is perfect for the little ones, with kite-making activities, more performances, picnic space, and kite flying. One of the best additions is the inclusion of Taiko drummers who play incredible beats along.

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Finally, there’s ‘Petalpalooza’ on April 4. Petalpalooza runs all day long. Live music will be played on multiple outdoor stages, similar to traditional music festivals. There are art vendors and installations, activities, and a beer garden, all of which are set up on the banks of the Anacostia River. Finally, there will be a fireworks show. This event is completely free.

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Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

April 24-May 3

Photo provided by Library of Congress

This activity is not technically part of Northern Virginia, but it’s just a bit further north and close nonetheless. Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival – also known as “The Bloom” – began way back in 1924 as a one-day festival. Over the next 100 years, the traditions have accumulated, and the festival became what it is known and loved to be today. The basis of the fair: to celebrate Northern Virginia’s apple industry and community spirit. Over 250,000 people attend the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. Crazy, right?

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This festival is probably the most eventful of the bunch, with over 50 things to do within the ten-day affair. The big feature here is the ‘grand parade’ and the firefighters’ parade, both of which have floats, marching bands, and local groups.

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There’s something for everyone here, too. For the adults, there’s a two-day wine festival and cider tasting events. Orchard tours are a local favorite. For the young kids, there’s the Apple Blossom Carnival at Apple Blossom Mall. For the little tykes, there’s plenty of family-friendly programs. What makes Apple Blossom unique is the older traditions that have an elegant 20th-century feel to them. Every year, there’s a Queen Shenandoah who is crowned, a ladies' luncheon, and the Queen Ball. A fan favorite: the ‘80s dance party.

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It’s truly hard to describe everything this festival has to offer because there is just so much. From concerts to dance parties to fitness events, there’s an activity for everything.

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SpringFest Fairfax

April 25

Photo provided by Junseong Lee

SpringFest is focused on environmental education, which perfectly echoes this seasonal change. It’s perfect for people of all ages, but especially so for young minds who want to learn. In order to educate individuals on Mother Earth, SpringFest has an abundance of hands-on activities and local eco-focused exhibitors.

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Local groups and conservators will be hosting demos. Plant vendors sell native plants and pollinator-friendly species, which makes their already green efforts ever more verdant. There are gardening consultations for those who love to garden or have one at home. For the youth: a petting zoo, a country vehicles exhibit, an environmental obstacle course, a puppet show, and eco activities. A lot of this is one-of-a-kind and can’t be found at any old spring fair.

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If you get hungry, fear not, as there will be many local vendors selling food and snacks. SpringFest is particularly great because it’s not commercial, nor is it as crowded as some of the other mentions on the list. The best part– admission is completely free.

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Virginia Gold Cup

May 3

"20090502_160933_1" by lorax4096 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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The Virginia Gold Cup is a legendary horse racing event that’s hosted in the state annually. The specific type of horse racing is steeplechasing, a style where contestants and their hooved friends race through an obstacle course that involves a lot of jumping. It’s a historic activity that has deep roots in Northern Virginia. Every year, the event is hosted at Great Meadow in The Plains.

In all honesty, the Virginia Gold Cup is a casual event dressed up as a fancy sort of thing. Most people there go to enjoy the leisurely vibrations and to sip a cold one. The Virginia Gold Cup is big on tailgating, and many attendees decorate their vehicles to do it. There’s even a tailgating contest. Another guest favorite is the hat contest; there are different subcategories like elegant hats, best racing themed hat, and funniest slash most outrageous hat.

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If you get there early, before 10 a.m, they have terrier races, which are arguably just as fun and, honestly, far more cute.

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Strawberry Jubilee

May 23-24 & 30-31

​"Strawberries" by sanchom is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The Strawberry Jubilee is a four-day event at Great Country Farms that’s still a bit farther out than the other things to do on this list. The jubilee is reminiscent of a fall festival with wagon rides, live music, vendor foods, and farm contests. Festival hours are long (9 a.m—6 p.m), but certain things are only available at specific hours, so plan ahead for what you want to see and do.

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Strawberry picking here is a bit different than just attending the festival. If you want fresh berries, you’ll have to arrive sometime between festival hours of 9 a.m and 11 a.m. After that, supplies are usually limited, and strawberries are mostly available in the farm market.

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At 11 a.m., there’s the ‘Lil’ Sprout Float Parade’. Strollers, wagons, or carts are decked out in spring decor, and the little ones ride through the farm. Included is a little low-stakes competition: whoever has the best strawberry theme and the best use of strawberries will receive a season pass membership (worth $119) to the farm.

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There’s a Diaper Derby at 11:30 a.m. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like. Similarly to the ‘parade’, winners will win the farm season pass membership.

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At 1:00 p.m there’s a pie-eating contest, where contestants can win— you guessed it— that season pass. 1:30 p.m is when a classic egg toss takes place, followed by family bingo. After that, the day is filled with live music and delicious food.

Junseong LeeJunseong Lee