The payoff for living through Vancouver‘s damp gray winters comes in the spring, when flowers around the city burst into bloom.

And what better way to celebrate spring’s arrival than with the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival?

This flower-focused fest sponsors a variety of events around town, beginning this weekend (on Saturday, March 28) and continuing through April 24.

Among the highlights:

Under the Cherry Tree
Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29, 10 am to 5 pm, VanDusen Botanical Garden
The festival’s opening event celebrates the blossoms as well as Japanese culture.

Cherry Jam Downtown
Tuesday, March 31, noon to 1:30 pm, Burrard SkyTrain Station
This free concert features the Cascade Brass Quintet with Blossom Brass, Chibi Taiko and Yuaikai Ryukyu Taiko Dance Group, the global rhythms of Kutapira, the Japanese pop band Island, and CBC’s Bill Richardson reading the winning haiku from the festival’s Haiku Invitational.

Bike the Blossoms
Saturday, April 18 10 am to 4 pm, Starts at the VanDusen Botanical Garden parking lot
This food-focused cycle tour travels along prime cherry blossom viewing routes. You can also sample local food and meet area farmers at community centers along the way. Co-sponsored by Slow Food Vancouver, where you can get more information and also register online.

Tree Talks and Walks
Guided nature walks at area parks.

• Sunday, April 5, 1 to 2:30 pm, Queen Elizabeth Park
• Friday, April 10, 3 to 4:30 pm, Stanley Park
• Monday, April 13, 1 to 2:30 pm, UBC

And if you just want to explore Vancouver’s floral bounty on your own, check out the festival’s Cherry Blossom viewing map.

Photo by Alan Bruce (flickr)