Kitsilano Blossoms

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in April most years. It features a Japan Fair and other blossom-themed events.

The 2026 festival takes place from March 27th to April 12th.

Events happening in late March include both the Big Picnic and Blossoms After Dark at David Lam Park. Then the Sakura Days Japan Fair takes place at VanDusen Garden in mid-April.

Other flower festivals you might be interested in this time of year include the Harrison Tulip Festival, Abbotsford Tulip Festival, and the Sweet Spring Flower Festival at Greendale Acres. All three are exceptional and well worth the drive to the Fraser Valley to see.

Below you’ll find information about this year’s cherry blossom-themed events, as well as events that may or may not return.

Information in this article includes the following topics:

Click on any of the above links to jump to a specific topic, or continue reading to learn all about the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.

Cherry Blossom Festival Events in Vancouver

In celebration of spring and the blossoming of cherry trees, there are events throughout Metro Vancouver most years. They include the Big Picnic at David Lam Park, Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen Garden, and more.

It’s a great festival, as acknowledged by the Canadian Garden Council, which named it the winner of Canada’s Garden Festival of the Year Award a few years ago.

BOYish7 at VanDusen Garden — Cherry Blossom Fun at VanDusen Garden

The Big Picnic at David Lam Park

The Big Picnic is a free cherry blossom-viewing event at David Lam Park. The venue is in Yaletown at 1300 Pacific Boulevard. In 2026, the event takes place on Saturday, March 28th. Last year it ran from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The 2026 times are likely to be similar, but with exact details to be confirmed.

“Hanami” is a traditional Japanese practice of gathering with friends and family in parks under cherry trees to admire the blossoms while eating and drinking. “Hana” in Japanese means “flower,” and “mi” means “to see.” The Big Picnic is a celebration of “hanami.”

It is best to arrive early to find parking, especially on sunny days. Also, bring your own picnic, lawn chair, tarp, or something to sit on. There’s typically free, family-friendly entertainment and outdoor yoga sessions, along with a small number of food trucks most years.

In total, we estimate that between 500 and 1,000 people are on-site at any given time. It’s not a major event, but it is free and a great time to check out the park’s cherry blossoms.

Click Big Picnic for more information about this Vancouver Cherry Blossom hanami event.

Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen Garden

In 2026 Sakura Days Japan Fair happens on the weekend of April 11th and 12th.

Each year, Japanese anime comic art is featured and celebrated at the event, which includes a Japanese tea ceremony, Japanese food for sale, and sake to sample. There are also usually public workshops on topics such as origami (Japanese paper-folding art), calligraphy, and ikebana (Japanese flower arranging art).

The cost of the Sakura Days Japan Fair depends on whether you are a VanDusen Garden member and whether you purchase your tickets in advance. In recent years, advance-purchase online tickets cost around $20 for adults and $16 for seniors and teenagers. Children ages 5 to 12 cost about $8, while children under 5 enter for free.

Click Sakura Days Japan Fair for more information about the event.

VanDusen Girls in Japanese Clothing — Girls in Japanese Clothing at VanDusen Garden

Blossoms After Dark at David Lam Park

Blossoms After Dark is a two-day event featuring family-friendly activities. In 2026, the event takes place on Friday and Saturday, March 27th and 28th.

Usually, between around 6:30 pm and 10:00 pm each night, there are illuminated cherry blossoms to admire at David Lam Park. There are also live performances and activities to enjoy. Food trucks are usually on-site as well. As of the last time we checked, the full 2026 were yet to be confirmed.

There have been a few nighttime events during the festival in previous years. Spring Lights Sakura Illumination Night used to take place at Queen Elizabeth Park. However, the event hasn’t happened since 2018. Nights of Light was also scheduled to debut at the same location in 2019, but it did not proceed. These events are unlikely to recur. Now, instead, there is Blossoms After Dark.

Spring Lights Illumination — Cherry Blossom Illuminations at Queen Elizabeth Park

Blossom Block Party at Bentall Centre’s Dunsmuir Patio

A new event last year was a one-day block party in Vancouver. In 2026, this event is happening again on April 4th. Created in collaboration with Public Disco, this event takes place in the Bentall Centre Courtyard at 1055 Dunsmuir Street.

The event is free to attend and happens outdoors. It features fun activities for all ages, including dance performances, DJ music, a licensed bar, and more.

See our articles about the Blossom Block Party for details.

Spring Lights Illumination in Daylight — Cherry Blossoms at Queen Elizabeth Park

Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver

The Lower Mainland has thousands of cherry trees all over the region, and never is this more obvious than in the spring when parts of the city turn beautiful shades of pink. Japan donated hundreds of cherry trees to the City of Vancouver in the 1930s, and to this day, we benefit from that generous gift.

There are various types of cherry trees, and they all bloom at slightly different times.

Depending on the date, the best places to see the cherry trees include Stanley Park, VanDusen Garden, and the area around Burrard Station, but trees are in bloom throughout the region for much of March and April.

In most years, some of the earliest concentrations of cherry blossoms start to show up around Burrard Station in downtown Vancouver and in Kitsilano in various areas (including around West 4th and by the Vancouver Space Centre). The entrance to Stanley Park, at the southern end of Pipeline Road, is also among the first places in Vancouver to see large numbers of pink trees each season.

Spring Flowers at VanDusen Gardens