Celebrate Spring at the Cherry Blossom Festival in New Haven, CT

It has been a bucket list item of mine to view the cherry blossom trees in Washington, DC. They only bloom for a three-week window, and it is hard to predict exactly when blooming will occur so planning for travel is a challenge. I was fortunate to see them this past spring, but I was excited to find a local opportunity right here in Connecticut to view cherry blossoms.

Every year, the cherry blossom trees at Wooster Square in New Haven, CT bloom and the city celebrates with a Cherry Blossom Festival typically in mid-to-late April. The New Haven trees, although the same variety of those in Washington, DC, bloom a bit later due to colder temperatures in Connecticut.

The 72 cherry blossom trees in New Haven are Yoshino cherry blossom trees, one of many subspecies in the sakura family of Japanese cherry blossom trees and the most common variety in the United States. The trees were planted in and around Wooster Square in 1973 by the New Haven Historic Commission in collaboration with neighborhood residents and the New Haven Parks Department.

The Cherry Blossom Festival was founded and organized in the early 1970s by the Historic Wooster Square Association and the free event now attracts thousands of people every year to enjoy food, music, activities for children, and of course the trees.

Wooster Square residents Bart and Cheryl Szczarba are on bloom watch and post their photographs and updates on their Blossom Blog. Check it for updates before visiting the trees, just in case inclement weather has shortened the bloom period.

I attended the festival in 2017 when the blooms were a little past peak, but the trees were still a sea of pink and the ground was covered with a carpet of cherry blossom petals.

Although the festival is great fun, if you want to have the cherry blossoms to yourself I recommend visiting Wooster Square on another day of the week either early in the morning or perhaps in that golden hour before sunset. The festival itself is very crowded and not ideal for peaceful cherry blossom viewing as food trucks, tents, and stages cover Wooster Square.

A few fun facts about cherry blossom trees and their history:

• Japanese cherry blossom trees do not produce fruit, unlike other varieties of cherry trees.
• The act of viewing the cherry blossoms is called hanami. It is the Japanese way of welcoming spring and acknowledging the transient beauty of the flowers. While some may simply walk through the cherry trees in Japan, many others plan picnics that at times become full-blown parties.
• There are a number of cherry blossom festivals in Japan. The season peaks in April and one of the most popular spots to view them is Hirosaki Castle Park with its 2,600 trees.
• In the United States, the premier destination for cherry blossom viewing is in Washington, DC, where the blooming typically starts in late March and finishes by mid-April. Many events take place over that time period as part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
• Over 3,000 trees were gifted to the United States by Japan in 1912 as a symbol of international friendship. Most of the trees were planted around the Tidal Basin, site of the Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Memorial.
• In 1981, due to severe flooding in Japan, cuttings from the Washington, DC cherry trees were given to Japan to replace some of the cherry trees that had been lost.

In addition to viewing the cherry blossoms at Wooster Square, take the time to view the architecture on the outskirts of the Square and on the adjoining side streets. One of the more striking homes is the Moorish Revival Willis Bristol House featured above and below, designed by noted New Haven architect Henry Austin.

Completed in 1845, the Italianate structure shows its Moorish/Islamic influence with candelabra columns, window lambrequins, and the uniquely shaped door and windows. Austin designed a number of other homes with similar features.

Wooster Square and the surrounding area is known to many as Little Italy. It is home to some of the best pizza you will have the privilege of eating, crafted in the New Haven pizza (or “apizza” as it is often referred to) tradition. Everyone has their favorite pizza place, but my vote goes hands-down to Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana.

According to their website, Frank Pepe originated the New Haven-style thin crust pizza which he baked in bread ovens fired by coke. Coke is a byproduct of coal and it was used extensively until the late 1960s when it became unavailable and at which time coal was used to fire the oven.

An offshoot of Wooster Square is Court Street, which is a one-way residential street today with vehicle access limited to residents. The 375-foot street is lined on each side with brick rowhouses facing each other. Their brightly colored doors and front stoops create a welcoming space for both residents and passersby alike.

Most of Court Street was constructed in 1870 by the Home Insurance Company and was originally called Home Place. Rowhouse sales were a failure due to an economic downturn, and the project went bankrupt. The houses were ultimately sold for $7,500 each by the Probate Court, leading to the street’s current name.

All of the elements needed for a perfect spring morning or afternoon can be found in New Haven. Head out in nice weather, stroll through Wooster Square to view the cherry blossoms and the stunning historic architecture on surrounding streets, and fortify yourself with some apizza or gelato (or both!)

Or round up friends and family and attend the Wooster Square Cherry Blossom Festival, sample food truck offerings, listen to lively music, and people watch. You just can’t lose!

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