Hanami - Cherry Blossom Festival 2026

From the organizers:

花見 (pronounced hah-nah-mee), or 花/hana (flower) 見/mi (to look at), is a Japanese tradition of gathering to admire the transience and beauty of nature and life. The unexpected and fleeting qualities of cherry blossoms embody this feeling that they garnered their own seasonal holiday. We are excited to announce this year's annual Hanami: Cherry Blossom Festival in Jackson Park!

This year we welcome back our partners at Asian Improv aRts Midwest (AIRMW), the Japanese Arts Foundation, and Japanese Culture Center, and our greater community throughout Jackson Park's Columbian Basin where over 220 cherry trees are featured. The afternoon includes performances from Tsukasa Taiko, children’s taiko workshops, special traditional dance performances from Shubukai, springtime themed origami folding, and the seasonal art of e-tegami! E-tegami means "picture letter" in Japanese, and is a type of mail art. Come draw a seasonal item such as cherry blossoms, vegetables, or spring moments onto a watercolor postcard as a one of a kind letter to send!

We also encourage guests to stop by the Osaka Garden for a slow stroll or guided tour. Note that no performances will be held inside the garden this year, and capacity is limited to 50 guests at a time. This is on a first come, first served, basis. No dogs, food, or photography is permitted in the Osaka Garden. Thank you for helping us be great stewards of this historic gem in Chicago! This event is free and accessible to all, capacity permitting.

We recommend parking in the Hayes Lot south of the garden, or on Stony Island.

**Please note this event is held weather permitting, and we cannot predict the exact date of the blossoms in bloom - though we try! In the case of inclement weather, all registered will be notified 12 hours prior to the event.

Registration requested here: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/events/hanami-cherry-blossom-viewing-festival-jackson-park-0