This sakura festival near Toronto will transport you to Japan this spring

The season of pink petals is about to begin here in the GTA, and one city is celebrating in a big way. The Burlington Sakura Festival is a free event that will transport visitors to cherry blossom season in Japan.

The festival is a celebration of spring hosted in partnership with Burlington’s sister city of Itabashi, Japan.

The City of Burlington’s Mundialization Committee told Curiocity that the event will feature “an afternoon of Japanese music, dance and martial arts demonstrations.”

Performers include Nagata Shachu, Ten Ten Canada, and Sakuramai Toronto.

It wouldn’t be an authentic sakura festival without sakura trees, of course, and visitors will have the opportunity to stroll among rows of them.

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The event will be held across the street from Burlington’s Spencer Smith Park, a lakefront green space with 40 cherry blossom trees planted in a row, forming a canopied walkway.

Burlington Sakura Festival will be held in May — however, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the trees will still be in bloom at that time, despite the early start to sakura season in Toronto this year.

Also located west of Toronto is an authentic Japanese garden filled with blooming cherry blossom trees.

Kariya Park in Mississauga is named after Kariya, Japan, which is Mississauga’s sister city.

The park is filled with beautiful shades of pink as sakura and magnolia trees bloom in April and May.

Be sure to add these destinations to your cherry blossom bucket list!

Burlington Sakura Festival

When: Saturday, May 13th, 2023 at 1 PM
Where: Burlington Performing Arts Centre Family Lobby, 440 Locust Street, Burlington