New York Cherry Festivals in 2020

Update for 2020 and Coronavirus:

Keep in mind that some of the festivals below may be canceled or altered for 2020. The situation is changing so rapidly and many festivals are not announcing their plans until the last minute, so when we have not seen an update, we've left last year's data below and suggest you see the festivals website or call the festival as the date gets close to see if they will hold it this year. Some festivals are still being held, while others are being canceled for 2020.

Looking for a Cherry blossom festival or cherry fruit festival in New York in October 2020? There is no other listing as complete and current as this list, just updated! Cherry All the Cherry festivals we can find in New York are listed on this page! If you love Cherries, look for a festival near you below! And I'm looking for more Cherry festivals! Please write me, if you know of any to add! I update the dates as soon as the festivals publish their information, but you can always click on the links (usually the name of the festival) to see the current information on the festival's own website.

Especially this year, due to Coronavirus, be sure to click on the links (the blue, underlined name of the each festival) to confirm this year's dates on the website for each festival. If they don't have a website, call the phone number provided, but ALWAYS CONFIRM THIS YEAR'S DATES AND TIMES BY EITHER VIEWING THEIR WEBSITE OR CALLING.

Click here for the form to add a festival and have detailed information; or click here if you have general information and are not connected with the event!

Cherry Festivals in 2020: Find a Festival Near You!

New York

June and July are the big months for harvesting cherries. Cherries typically ripen from late May (in the South) through June and July in the upper Midwest and New England. There are two main types of cherries; sweet cherries and sour cherries (also called pie cherries). Sweet cherries obviously taste sweet and are good for eating fresh. Sour cherries are much more tart and are usually used in making cherry pies. Sweet cherries also require more cold weather to set fruit, so they are rarely groiwn successfully in warm climates like the Deep South.

There are two general types of cherry festivals 1) community festivals, usually organized by a church, school, local Chamber of commerce or a town and 2). Cherry festival held at and by a orchard. They are different in what they offer, and c community festivals tend to be less expensive so they are grouped separately. (of course not all states and areas have both.)
Following the festival listings are links to our easy to follow directions about making cherry jam, freezing cherries, cherry pies and much more.

Community Cherry Festivals

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Sakura Masuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) - Saturday, late April - see their website for this years dates.
Brooklyn, NY. Events calendar Held in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where there are over 200 trees in bloom, the flowering cherries take center stage during this phenomenal weekend celebrating Japanese culture. Enjoy over 60 events and performances, including traditional music and dance, taiko drumming, ikebana flower arranging, cooking demonstrations, tea ceremonies, craft demonstrations, and workshops for both adults and children. New events include 60s-inspired Japanese pop grooves by famed musical sensations Gaijin a Go-Go, workshops in tofu making and calligraphy art, displays of geta shoes and other arts from Inuyama, and a kimono fashion show. New events especially for kids include book readings, puppet shows, CosPlay, and workshops in Japanese classical dance. (UPDATED: March 5, 2017, JBS)
Randall's Island Park Cherry Blossom Festival - Always in late April and/or early May; in 2017, May 6 from 12 pm to 4 pm
11 Wards Meadow Loop, New York, NY 10035. Phone: (212) 860-1899. Fax: (212) 860-2486. Email: info@randallsisland.org. Directions: click here for a map and directions. Each spring RIPA's annual Cherry Blossom Festival ushers in the warmer months, and gives visitors the opportunity to appreciate the Park's spring beauty. Set along the backdrop of the Hell Gate Bridge and the Urban Farm, the Festival welcomes the Park's cherry blossoms with live music, performances, games, exhibitions, face painting and more, inspired by Japanese culture. (UPDATED: March 5, 2017, JBS)
Roosevelt Island - Late April - see their website for this years dates. (it was Saturday, April 21, 2018 11:00 AM 5:00 PM)
Join Four Freedoms Park in celebrating the Roosevelt Island Community Cherry Blossom Festival featuring Traditional and Modern Japanese Performances and Cultural Fair. Free; no registration required. Also you can find more at:
Cornell Tech Campus, Roosevelt Island, NY. For many years people from all over the world have come to Roosevelt Island to enjoy viewing our beautiful Cherry Trees. The festival attracts as many as 5,000 visitors from the New York metropolitan area, both Japanese-Americans and other area residents, who come for the blossoms, performances and to purchase food from vendors and picnic near the trees. The recent events in Japan and the Islands compassion for our Japanese community and the Japanese people have polarized us to respond. the Cherry Blossom Festival will feature traditional and modern Japanese musical performances, demonstrations of traditional Japanese martial arts, including Samurai Sword techniques, traditional Japanese dance and tea ceremony. All performances are free. This event is organized by the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA), but as of March, there is no announcement of the date of this year's festival, so follow the link to their website to look! (UPDATED: March 5, 2017, JBS)
Ryu Shu Kan's Cherry Blossom Festival - Sunday, May 6, 2018 from 12 noon to 5 pm (rain or shine)
Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794. Phone: 516-457-8481. E-mail: director@ryushukan.com. Welcome Spring to Long Island the Japanese way with the exciting sounds of the Taiko Drums, the elegance of Japanese dance and music and a wondrous array of Japanese cultural exhibits and events for the entire family. This is the premier Japan culture event on Long Island. Beginning at 12 noon, the day is filled with exciting activities for children and adults. See below for details! Masayo Ishigure and her Koto ensemble, Junko Fisher -Okinawan Dance & Songs, Ichfujikai traditional Japanese Dance company and more will light up the stage and dazzle you with a variety of Japanese art, dance, and music. Daniel Nyohaku Soergel will perform on the Shakuhachi in the Bamboo Atrium and finish on stage in the theater with Ryu Shu Taiko -Drums of Japan. For a full list of performers, click here. And for a list of all demonstrators and exhibitors, click here.
White Plains Cherry Blossom Festival - Sunday, April 29, 2018 from 11:30 am to 5 pm
Turnure Park, 10 Lake St, White Plains, NY 10603. Email: wpcherryfes@gmail.com.. ホワイトプレーンズ桜まつり Come enjoy a fun day at the park under the 100 beautiful cherry blossom trees! You can experience Japanese food, Japanese traditional and pop culture with games and events throughout the park joined with non-stop entertainment on the stage! Here is a partial list (see their Facebook page for the complete list): Japanese Garden Exhibition by Takanashi Landscape Inc., Taiko Cafe by Sakura Taiko , Origami & Calligraphy Workshop by Japanese School & Japan Education Center , Kimono Demonstration by Japan Education Center , Amusement Rides by Niji no Kai , Cotton Candy Stand by Niji no Kai , Gift Shop by Taeko Okamoto and Friends , Goldfish Scooping by YMCA Tokyo Frost Valley , Yo-yo Fishing by Amnet N.Y. , Lion Dance Workshop by Steve Long , Sakura Gift Shop & Snacks by Tenshi No Ai , Face Paint by Hanayokoji , Puppet Shop by Katiepuppets , Mochi Tsuki Demonstration / 3PM~ by DAIDO White Plains. FOOD: Japanese Snacks, Refreshments, & etc, DAIDO White Plains , Sushi & Curry Rice・Take Sushi, Sunny Side , Okonomiyaki・Otafuku Foods , Pastries & Sweets・Parisienne Bakery. (

Farm Cherry Festivals

In addition to community and church festivals, some private farms have their own cherry festivals. See each farm for this year's dates (they often do not announce them until the end of May). Also, scroll down to see the links to recipes, freezing, canning and jam making directions at the bottom of the page.

We will be adding these as we find them; Please write me, if you know of any to add!

Related Cherry Information: Freezing, Making Jam, Jelly, Canning, Cherry Pies, Recipes and More

Also, see our pages on easy illustrated cherry directions:

For other fruit and vegetable festivals, see this page!

Also, see our pages on easy illustrated directions about

how to can cherries at home!
H ow to freeze cherries - just like blueberries
how to make cherry preserves / cherry jam
how to make homemade, canned cherry pie filling
How to pit cherries
Cherry pitters, many models

United States

Colorado

Cherry Festival - over the 4th of July weekend
Paonia, Colorado. See photos here. .

This page was updated on

Ball Enamel Waterbath Canner, Including Chrome-Plated Rack and 4-Piece Utensil Set

Don't forget the Ball Blue Book!

Home Canning Kits

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!