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Buffalo's Cherry Blossom Festival replaced with special digital program

Due to social distancing and restrictions on public events, the 2020 festival was cancelled and will be replaced with a digital lineup on May 2.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Organizers of the annual Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival still want you to celebrate spring and admire the blooms — just from a distance.

The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Buffalo History Museum and Friends of the Japanese Garden will host a special digital program on Saturday, May 2 in place of the traditional annual festival.

A digital blooming and virtual lineup will allow people to enjoy the peak blooms from the safety of their own homes. 

“The 'Hanami' or 'flower-viewing' season has assuredly arrived,” said Melissa Brown, Executive Director of The Buffalo History Museum. “And community safety requires imaginative, alternate ways to soak in these long-awaited pops of pink. From participating in a fully virtual silent auction, to viewing videos of the beautiful blossoms, and posting blossom-inspired crafts from the comfort of home, I encourage you to get creative and engage in this flower-viewing season with us.”

"Buffalo Cherry Blossoms Reimagined" will feature behind-the-scenes videos of blooms in the garden, a cocktail-making demonstration, traditional Japanese music, a silent auction to support the garden and more. 

The full schedule can be found on the Facebook event page.

The Olmsted Parks Conservancy is asking the public not to visit the Japanese gardens in person due to concerns about overcrowding and lack of social distancing.

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