Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is the biggest celebration of Japanese and Japanese American culture in the region. Over two weekends each April, San Francisco's Japantown closes several streets for taiko drumming, dance, music, cultural programs, crafts and food. On the final Sunday a Grand Parade travels from Civic Center to Japantown. The organizers say more than 220,000 people attend each year.

The 2027 festival runs on April 10 and 11 and April 17 and 18, 2027, with the Grand Parade on Sunday, April 18, according to the official festival site. It is the 60th festival. On November 2, 2026, the dates were posted but the 2027 schedule, vendors and parade marshals were not. This guide uses the 2026 festival as a guide. For other heritage events around Palo Alto, see our cultural festivals guide.

What the festival is

The festival dates to 1968. According to its history page, the first one ran March 29 to 31, 1968, right after the Japan Trade Center (now the Japan Center malls) opened. Japanese and Japanese American business and community leaders started it to preserve traditions, help the local economy and strengthen ties between the United States and Japan. San Francisco's Japantown is one of three remaining officially designated Japantowns in the country. The other two are in Los Angeles and San Jose. Our San Jose Japantown guide covers the one closest to Palo Alto.

Volunteers run the festival. The organizers say more than 500 volunteers help each year alongside about 40 staff volunteers who work year-round.

2027 dates and hours

The festival goes ahead rain or shine. Stage schedules, cultural programs and the children's area dates for 2027 should appear on the festival's schedule page in spring. In 2026 the Children's Cherry Blossom Village ran on three of the four days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What to see and do

• Stages and cultural programs. Taiko, dance and music performances on stages around Japantown, including the Webster Street stage.
• The Grand Parade. Taiko drummers, buyo and minyo dancers, floats with the festival queen and her court and the San Francisco Taru Mikoshi, a large portable shrine carried by more than 100 people.
• Arts and crafts. Vendors line the festival streets on both weekends.
• Raffle. The festival's biggest fundraiser. In 2026 tickets were $5 each or 6 for $25 at the information booth.
• Carry the mikoshi. Adults 18 and over can sign up on parade morning from 10 a.m. at Nihonmachi Terrace, 1615 Sutter Street, first come, first served.

Japantown has been under construction. The 2026 co-chairs wrote that the Peace Plaza renovation needed one more year and that cherry trees on Osaka Way would be relocated for a renovation starting after the 2026 festival. Expect some changes to the layout in 2027.

Getting there from Palo Alto

The festival strongly recommends transit or rideshare, since parking is limited and Post Street (Laguna to Fillmore) and Webster Street (Geary to Sutter) close to cars.

Caltrain and BART

The organizers' route from the South Bay: ride Caltrain to Millbrae, which takes about 21 minutes on an express from Palo Alto, then BART to Montgomery Street. From there, catch the 38 Geary bus on Market Street to Fillmore and Geary. Another option is to walk to Sansome and Sutter and take the 2 Clement or 3 Jackson bus to Sutter and Laguna. Muni costs $2.85 with Clipper. Our Clipper guide explains paying for Caltrain, BART and Muni with one card.

Caltrain to 4th and King

You can also ride Caltrain all the way to 4th and King and continue on Muni toward Market Street for the 38 Geary. It involves more transfers, so the Millbrae route is usually simpler.

Driving and rideshare

If you drive, the Japan Center garages (main garage at 1610 Geary Boulevard and the annex at 1650 Fillmore Street) are closest but can fill early. Rideshare drop-off is on Geary Boulevard at Webster Street, just past the Japan Center Garage. Free bike parking is limited to a few dozen spaces in the two garages. Bikes cannot be locked to meters, trees or barricades.

With kids

The Children's Cherry Blossom Village, on Post Street between Fillmore and Webster in 2026, has activities aimed at young visitors. Taiko is loud, so ear protection helps toddlers enjoy the drumming. The parade lasts about two hours. Find a curb spot along the Japantown end early if you want children in the front row. A stroller is easier to manage on a non-parade day.

Food and drink

The festival's food is a point of pride. The organizers say all of the food booths are run by local nonprofits. They are grouped in the Food Bazaar, with beer at the Sapporo Beer Garden on Webster Street between Post and Sutter. Japantown restaurants stay open during festival hours. Inside the Japan Center, Marufuku Ramen at 1581 Webster Street serves Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. Expect a line on festival days. Back in Palo Alto, our Japanese food guide lists ramen, sushi and izakaya spots.

Tips for the day

1. Pick your weekend. Choose the first weekend for a relaxed look at the stages and booths, or parade Sunday for the big procession.
2. Leave Palo Alto early. With two transfers, allow about an hour and a half door to door each way.
3. Eat at the bazaar. Buying from the nonprofit food booths supports community groups that depend on the festival.
4. Dress in layers. April afternoons in the city can turn windy and cool. The festival runs rain or shine.
5. Check the schedule the night before. Stage times and parade details for 2027 will be on the festival's site in spring.
6. Respect the ceremonies. The mikoshi purification and parade are religious and cultural traditions as well as a show.

More Japanese culture near Palo Alto

Closer to home, Cupertino holds its own spring cherry blossom festival in Memorial Park. Our Cupertino guide has details. The Japanese Tea Garden in San Mateo is a quiet place to see spring color. In summer, the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple holds its Obon festival with bon odori dancing. If you plan to make a weekend of the 60th festival in the city, you can compare hotels near Japantown and walk to the parade.

For the rest of the month, see Palo Alto in April.

Frequently asked questions