It's just about that time in New Jersey for the cherry blossom trees to start showing off. Now that spring is in full swing, the annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival 2025 starts this weekend, and locals can't wait to browse the snowfall-like cascading of petals at Branch Brook Park come peak bloom. This year's festival will take place from April 5th to 13th and include a variety of cherry blossom-themed events. Read on to learn more about the 2025 Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival, happening in Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey.

The 2025 Details + Events

The 49th annual festival will take place at its usual in-person location — Branch Brook Park in Newark. Family-friendly events will run from April 5th to April 13th, making this over a week of cherry blossom fun. There will be over 5,300 cherry blossoms in 18 varieties to gaze at, per the Branch Brook Park Alliance. Branch Brook Park is also home to the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center — read all about it in our article here.

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As for specific events, they are as follows:

April 5th — Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race

These races will run from 7AM-1PM, and will be held at Essex County Branch Brook Park, Northern Division Oval, Heller Parkway in Newark. The races are free for the public to watch, while race participants must register.

April 6th — Cherry Blossom 10K Run 

This run is from 10AM-12PM, and will start at the Cherry Blossom Center at Branch Brook Park in Newark. All run finishers will receive a Cherry Blossom Run medal, and a part of each registration fee will be donated to the Special Olympics of New Jersey. You can sign up here.

April 12th — Essex County One-Mile Fun Run

This event is from 10AM-11AM, and is catered to young students. As the prequel to the Essex County Family Day, the run will go through Branch Brook Park. It is free of charge, and all paperwork and permission slips can be found here.

April 12th — Essex County Family Day

Family day will run from 11AM-3PM at Essex County Branch Brook Park, Concert Grove, Southern Division, Park Street Entrance in Newark. Visitors can explore using paddle boats, construct a craft, get their face painted, grab food from one of many vendors, jump in a bouncy house, and climb a rock wall at this free-of-charge event. Main stage entertainment will take place at 11:30AM and 1:30PM.

April 13th — Bloomfest 

The final event of the 2025 festival will be held at Essex County Branch Brook Park, Oval, Northern Division, Newark + Prudential Concert Grove, Clifton Avenue Entrance in Newark from 11AM-5PM. This free family day includes multiple events like Japanese cultural demonstrations, children's activities, live music, a crafter's marketplace, food, and more. The full schedule of happenings can be found here.

See More: A Trip to Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit

Wednesdays + Saturdays in April — Cherry Blossom Talks

The Cherry Blossom Talks will take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays in April, and are 30-minute discussions with one of Branch Brook Park’s knowledgeable archivists. Topics include the history of the Branch Brook Park trees, the types of trees that have been used, how the trees have been incorporated into the landscape, and some exploration behind their meaning. These events will be held at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division.

Keep up with Essex County Parks and the 2025 Cherry Blossom Festival online, on Facebook, and the Bloomwatch Webcam to see live footage of the trees from Branch Brook Park.

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