Sakura Park

The Daily Plant : Friday, April 13, 2012

This Weekend In Parks

Photo by Malcolm Pinckney

Sakura Cherry Blossom Festival

The cherry blossom, or 'sakura' in Japanese, is one of the most popular symbols of Japan and one of Japan's natural flowers. In 1912, Japan gave the United States thousands of cherry trees to celebrate the friendship shared by our two countries. More than 2,000 of those trees arrived in New York City where there were planted in Central Park and Riverside Park. Today, cherry trees continue to be planted in parks across the country and are a living symbol of our nation's friendship.

To mark this centennial, a formal ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 14 at 11:00 a.m. at Sakura Park on West 122nd Street and Riverside Drive. It will be followed by a festival concert at noon at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial.

Modell's Spring Sports Clinics

This April and May, Parks is once again partnering with Modell's to present Modell’s Spring Sports Clinics. Youth between the ages of 8-17 can try a new sport or sharpen their skills. Join us for Flag Football this weekend, or wait for volleyball, table tennis, and lacrosse classes still to come!

Saturday, April 14

Community Planting: Sobel Court Park, Staten Island
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Sobel Court Park, Staten Island

Shearing of the Heather
10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Heather Garden, Manhattan

Garlic Mustard Pull at Van Cortlandt Park
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Van Cortlandt Nature Center, Bronx

Children's Carnival
11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Queens County Farm Museum, Queens

Nature Exploration: Salt Marsh
1:00 p.m.
Salt Marsh Nature Center, Brooklyn

Sunday, April 15

Sowing Native Seeds: Crocheron Park, Queens
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Crocheron Park, Queens

Author Talk & Swing Dancing
1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan

Spring Ahead into Composting
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Greenbelt Nature Center, Staten Island

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“Ice, I suppose, sir.”
Fifth Officer Harold Lowe, asked by Senator William Alden Smith
what an iceberg is composed of at a Titanic inquiry