Eastern Promise

Spring’s upon us. No matter if the sun was shining and the pigeons were doing their flabby-necked mating jig way back in January, spring isn’t officially here until the cherry trees explode into glorious pink blossom. Just look up from your paper, watch the branches bedeck themselves like prissy little schoolgirls, and you’ll know winter has been banished to season limbo for the next few months.

Happily, the people who gave Philadelphia many of these festive cherry trees will help us celebrate their blooming. Since 1998, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia has annually planted 100 cherry trees in Philadelphia, toward its final goal of 1,000 trees by spring 2007. On the day the trees will be ceremoniously planted, visitors are invited to a daylong festival featuring a lovely array of Japanese cultural traditions. There will be ceremonial taiko drumming, kite flying, martial arts exhibitions, demonstrations of origami, a tea ceremony, food and music. Take it from us — if you don’t want this season to go by in its usual blink, there is nothing better than spending an afternoon sitting back, sipping sake and watching the cherry trees do nothing but bloom.

—Lauren Groff

Sat., March 23, speech and demonstrations 12:30 p.m., Reflecting Pond at Fairmount Park’s Horticulture Center, 215-790-3810.