The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade®
PRESENTED BY EVENTS DC
The Nation’s Springtime Parade is returning to Constitution Avenue on Saturday, April 15, 2023 — reserve your seats today! Grand colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, celebrity entertainers, and performers burst down the Parade route in a spectacle of music and showmanship celebrating spring in Washington, DC.
Portions of the Parade (Constitution Ave between 9th & 15th Streets) are free to the public along the route and are first-come, first-serve.
Kick-Off The Festivities With Grand Marshals Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Visiting From Walt Disney World® Resort!
Disney Properties © Disney
Confirmed Performers
C+C Music Factory
Carson Kressley
Performance by Freedom Williams and multi-platinum selling group C+C Music Factory with their hit song Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now).
Emmy Award-winning TV personality Carson Kressley will be providing commentary from the street.
A LOOK BACK AT the 2022 PARADE
Grandstand Tickets Are Available Now!
Reserved grandstand tickets for groups and individuals are now available! Additional Telecast tickets at the National Archives (Between 7th and 9th Streets) HAVE BEEN ADDED! Snag your tickets for the West End (Between 15th and 17th Streets) for $25 – $30. Individual tickets may be purchased based on the best available or by section. Group tickets will be assigned sections closer to the Parade date.
The 2022 Parade included:
- Grand Marshal Laz Alonso, star of Amazon Prime series The Boys and one of Variety’s “Top Ten Actors to Watch”
- Taylor Dayne, award winning and Grammy nominated vocalist of the 1980’s hit “Tell It to My Heart”
- Rare Essence, Washington’s premier Go-Go band for over four decades
- Grammy nominated R&B crooner Freddie Jackson known for his hit song “You Are My Lady”
- 90’s rap duo Tag Team, best known for their 1993 single “Whoomp! (There It Is)”
- Wendy Moten, NBC’s The Voice runner-up in 2021 and Grammy-winning Nashville western swing band The Time Jumpers’s member.
- American Idol’s 3rd place winner and award winning singer/songwriter, Grace Kinstler
- Online Viral Sensation, Sharpe Family Singers
- Ten marching bands from across the nation including Washington D.C.’s Ballou High School Majestic Knights Marching Band, Washington D.C.’s Different Drummers, and the Parade’s inaugural appearance from the United States Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps.
- Giant colorful balloons including Peppa Pig, Blossom Trio, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Bubbles the Fish and more!
- A nationally syndicated broadcast anchored by Azubuike “Ike” Ejiochi of Good Morning America as well as Alison Starling and Robert Burton from local 7News. 7News reporter Eileen Whelan and TV personality Carson Kressley provided commentary from the street.
Wondering who else performed at the 2022 National Cherry Blossom Festival? Check out the full Line of March below!
MAP YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE
What began with a gift in 1912 at the Tidal Basin is now a four-week extravaganza spanning Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Virginia. Click the filters on our interactive map to see all that the Festival has to offer and craft a tailored experience as you Rediscover Spring. From exciting events to convenient hotels, delectable Cherry Picks restaurants to vibrant Art in Bloom installations, and a jaw-dropping City in Bloom to joyful Petal Porches, see the Washington, DC area as you can only see it once a year!
GETTING TO THE PARADE
Parking is limited in the District, especially during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It’s highly recommended that visitors use DC’s alternative transportation modes like Capital Bikeshare, DC Streetcar, Scooters, DC Circulator, Metrobus, and Metrorail to make the most of their experience. Skip the traffic and parking by planning your trip with goDCgo’s Getting to the Blossoms Guide.
The one-mile length of the Parade route is accessible from multiple Metro stations. Ticketholders should confer their ticket purchase confirmation email with explicit instructions on walking from Metro to their seats. Spectators who are standing along the free & accessible portions of the route from 9th to 15th Streets should utilize the following Metro stops:
- To stand on the north side of Constitution Avenue – Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Green/Yellow lines), Federal Triangle (Blue/Orange/Silver lines), or Metro Center (Blue/Orange/Red/Silver lines)
- To stand on the south side of Constitution Avenue – L’Enfant Plaza (Blue/Green/Orange/Silver/Yellow lines) or Smithsonian (Blue/Orange lines)
Spectators should utilize the DC Circulator’s National Mall route for access to all portions of the Parade. The closest stops are located along Madison Drive NW. Rides cost just $1, and buses arrive every 10 minutes. Riders are encouraged to check DCCirculator.com for real-time service updates, as the traditional route may experience some detours due to road closures.
Multiple Capital Bikeshare stations are conveniently located near the Parade route and along the National Mall.
Spectators on the north side of Constitution Avenue can use the station at 10th Street & Constitution Avenue NW or 14th Street & D Street NW/Reagan Building.
Spectators on the south side of Constitution Avenue can use the station at 14th Street & Jefferson Street SW / Washington Monument or 12th Street & Jefferson Street SW / Smithsonian Metro.
For a complete list of stations, visit CapitalBikeshare.com.
Street Closure Notice
4/15 – 4/16/23: Streets surrounding the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade route (7th – 17th Streets Northwest off Constitution Avenue) will be closed the morning of Saturday, April 15. Please note that the Sakura Matsuri – Japanese Street Festival will be taking place nearby on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 7th streets NW and roads will be closed both Saturday and Sunday, 4/15 – 16.
We recommend booking convenient and affordable parking in advance through SpotHero, the nation's leading parking reservations app.
To reserve your parking spot, visit the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade SpotHero Parking Page and book a spot with rates up to 50% off drive-up.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
PARADE SPONSORS
