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 (il Sabato, Marzo 28) and continuing through April 24.

Tra i punti salienti:

Sotto il ciliegio
Sabato, Marzo 28 e Domenica, Marzo 29, 10 alle ore 5 pm, VanDusen Botanical Garden
The festival’s opening event celebrates the blossoms as well as Japanese culture.

Cherry Jam Downtown
Martedì, Marzo 31, a mezzogiorno 1:30 pm, Sky Train Station burrard
This free concert features the Cascade Brass Quintet with Blossom Brass, Chibi Taiko e Yuaikai Ryukyu Taiko Dance Group, i ritmi globali di Kutapira, la band Isola pop giapponese, and CBC’s Bill Richardson reading the winning haiku from the festival’s Haiku Invitational.

Bike Blossoms
Sabato, Aprile 18 10 alle ore 4 pm, Inizia al 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.

Albero conferenze e escursioni
Guided nature walks at area parks.

• Domenica, Aprile 5, 1 a 2:30 pm, Queen Elizabeth Park
• Venerdì, Aprile 10, 3 a 4:30 pm, Stanley Park
• Lunedi, Aprile 13, 1 a 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.

Foto di Alan Bruce (flickr)