2026 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia
The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual spring celebration of Japanese arts and culture organized by Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP), with tremendous support from title sponsor Subaru of America, Inc.
Featuring a variety of events throughout the city, this yearly festival brings a taste of Japan to Philadelphia and highlights the beauty of Japanese sakura—the flowering cherry trees that brighten city streets and parks with their distinctive pink and white blossoms.
2026 is the 100th Anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry trees to Philadelphia.
Cherry blossoms have deep significance in Japanese culture and are a traditional motif in art, literature and cuisine. The ephemeral blossoms only last for about two weeks before fluttering to the ground, recalling the vibrancy and impermanence of life. The cherry is a symbolic national flower in Japan and is sometimes offered to other nations as a symbol of friendship.
It was in this spirit that the Japanese Government gave 1,600 flowering trees including cherry trees to Philadelphia in 1926 in honor of the 150th anniversary of American Independence. In 1998, The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia continued this legacy and began a ten-year, 1,000 tree planting campaign, which was completed in 2007. The Cherry Blossom Festival of Philadelphia celebrates the goodwill between Philadelphia and Japan as embodied by the cherry trees.
