Media Contact: Krysten Copeland
National Cherry Blossom Festival
202-630-3215
krysten@merakicommsgroup.com
National Cherry Blossom Festival & Friends of Oxon Run Co-Host Oxon Run Pinknic & Kite Fly, Presented by Chase
Festival continues its commitment to expand beloved celebration of spring beyond the Tidal Basin
Washington, D.C. [March 28, 2022] –– Yesterday, the National Cherry Blossom Festival hosted the Oxon Run Pinknic and Kite Fly, a Blossom Kite Festival “Featured Park” event co-organized with the Friends of Oxon Run and presented by Chase. Taking place at Oxon Run Park in Ward 8, the community event featured a picnic-style lunch provided by Ward 8 based catering company Flavorture, live performances, kite programming and giveaways.
While the Blossom Kite Festival celebrated 55 years of the beloved springtime tradition on the National Mall, the celebration extended to a number of Featured Parks on Sunday, including Oxon Run Park located in Southeast Washington, D.C.
“The Festival is once again excited to help expand the beloved tradition of kite-flying beyond the National Mall,” said Diana Mayhew, President and CEO of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. “With help from our friends at Chase, we are pleased to be able to encourage our neighbors in Ward 8 to rediscover spring in their own backyard.”
Oxon Run Park is home to one of the largest groves of cherry trees outside of the Tidal Basin. Last October, and as part of their continual commitment to communities east of the river, Chase employees joined the National Cherry Blossom Festival to plant a variety of 30 cherry trees in a tree-planting ceremony.
“While the blooms may not last year-round, our commitment to supporting significant economic development in communities east of the Tidal Basin remains unwavering,” said Dekonti Mends-Cole, Vice President of JPMorgan Chase Mid-Atlantic, Global Philanthropy. “We are pleased to celebrate 55 years of the Kite Festival in the community today and plan to continue to work with the Festival to share the beauty of the blossoms with our neighbors in Ward 8 through tree-plantings in the future.”
The Blossom Kite Festival is a long-standing tradition and welcomes attendees of all ages to fly kites among the cherry blossom trees. New this year, and for kite enthusiasts hoping to skip the crowds, the Festival invited residents to rediscover the joy of kite flying and participate in kite programming at a Featured Park across all eight wards, Maryland and Virginia.
The 2022 National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs through April 17, 2022 includes four weekends of fun, cultural performances and educational opportunities. For more information, please visit https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/rediscoverspring.
ABOUT NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the world’s great celebrations of spring. Hosted from March 20 – April 17, the 2022 Festival will include four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative programming that promotes traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit.
Visit NationalCherryBlossomFestival.org or call 877.44.BLOOM for more information, and check out Facebook (@CherryBlossomFestival), Instagram (@CherryBlossFest), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest), and YouTube (@NationalCherryBlossomFestivalDC). The Festival is supported by Leadership Circle Sponsors Events DC and Amazon.
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