Lillian Iverson
Photo: Courtesy of Lillian Iverson
Washington’s springtime pride and joy, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, kicks off its two-week run tomorrow. The Washington, D.C., Convention & Tourism Corporation (newly named Destination D.C.) estimates that one million people will visit the famed trees and participate in adjacent events this year, with about 45 percent hailing from outside of the city. That could mean $184 million for local businesses and hotels. Festival program manager Lillian Iversen talked to us this week about the ins and outs of planning the festival, coordinating opening day with some 150 volunteers, and how she feels like Clark Kent.
The festival kicks off tomorrow. What are you working on now?
In the next few days, I'll be busy doing last-minute preparation for the family day and opening ceremony—a two-in-one event that takes place at the National Building Museum on Saturday. [Today] we load in a performance stage and more than 800 seats, inflate three giant helium balloons that float up in the great open space of the museum's four-story ceilings, create numerous stations for hands-on activities, and turn the place into a festival. But we do this knowing that [we only have] a 30-minute period on Saturday afternoon [to] shut down the family day and—like Clark Kent in the phone booth—quickly reset for the opening ceremony, with its international performances and remarks by Washington dignitaries. What are the logistics behind producing a two-week festival?
Obviously, when working on a festival that celebrates spring and nature, you want to have a lot of outdoor elements, which runs into the unknown of weather—what to do if it rains. So we try to find a balance of outdoor [events, such as] the performances at the Target Tidal Basin Stage, the parade, and the Sakura Matsuri Japanese street festival, and indoor [events, such as] family day and the opening ceremony at the National Building Museum, and concerts at Union Station.
We address other challenges well into the start of planning [in] September of the year before. A good example for 2008 is the issue of transportation and traffic congestion around the Tidal Basin. We put forth what we think is a great solution by partnering with the National Park Service to alter a tiny parking lot by the trees into the Tidal Basin welcome center, where visitors to the area can get information, start ranger-led tours, and purchase festival merchandise and concessions. To compensate for the minimal loss of parking, we've enacted a major messaging blitz to encourage people to drive to the more than 800 spots available on Hains Point in East Potomac and utilize the free Tourmobile-operated Blossom Shuttle back to the Jefferson Memorial.
The festival is two weeks long. What parts are you most excited about?
This year's festival includes a performance by Tateshina High School from Nagano prefecture in Japan. This is their first performance ever in the United States, and their collaboration with the Howard University jazz ensemble at the opening ceremony is something I am most looking forward to. Also, the participation of Miss Universe, formerly Miss Japan, and all of the up-and-coming talent that will be in the parade, including Mark Indelicato from Ugly Betty and Keke Palmer from Akeelah and the Bee.
What are some of your last-minute tasks [for tomorrow]?
To make sure, with the help of Linder and Associates, that the various participating organizations, like Target, Westwood College, and the National Children's Museum, get loaded in; let the 10-plus performance groups know when they need to arrive to perform on Saturday; run a tech rehearsal for the opening ceremony; verify that the speakers know where to check in; and send reminders to the 150-plus volunteers that help over the course of the day.
The festival kicks off tomorrow. What are you working on now?
In the next few days, I'll be busy doing last-minute preparation for the family day and opening ceremony—a two-in-one event that takes place at the National Building Museum on Saturday. [Today] we load in a performance stage and more than 800 seats, inflate three giant helium balloons that float up in the great open space of the museum's four-story ceilings, create numerous stations for hands-on activities, and turn the place into a festival. But we do this knowing that [we only have] a 30-minute period on Saturday afternoon [to] shut down the family day and—like Clark Kent in the phone booth—quickly reset for the opening ceremony, with its international performances and remarks by Washington dignitaries. What are the logistics behind producing a two-week festival?
Obviously, when working on a festival that celebrates spring and nature, you want to have a lot of outdoor elements, which runs into the unknown of weather—what to do if it rains. So we try to find a balance of outdoor [events, such as] the performances at the Target Tidal Basin Stage, the parade, and the Sakura Matsuri Japanese street festival, and indoor [events, such as] family day and the opening ceremony at the National Building Museum, and concerts at Union Station.
We address other challenges well into the start of planning [in] September of the year before. A good example for 2008 is the issue of transportation and traffic congestion around the Tidal Basin. We put forth what we think is a great solution by partnering with the National Park Service to alter a tiny parking lot by the trees into the Tidal Basin welcome center, where visitors to the area can get information, start ranger-led tours, and purchase festival merchandise and concessions. To compensate for the minimal loss of parking, we've enacted a major messaging blitz to encourage people to drive to the more than 800 spots available on Hains Point in East Potomac and utilize the free Tourmobile-operated Blossom Shuttle back to the Jefferson Memorial.
The festival is two weeks long. What parts are you most excited about?
This year's festival includes a performance by Tateshina High School from Nagano prefecture in Japan. This is their first performance ever in the United States, and their collaboration with the Howard University jazz ensemble at the opening ceremony is something I am most looking forward to. Also, the participation of Miss Universe, formerly Miss Japan, and all of the up-and-coming talent that will be in the parade, including Mark Indelicato from Ugly Betty and Keke Palmer from Akeelah and the Bee.
What are some of your last-minute tasks [for tomorrow]?
To make sure, with the help of Linder and Associates, that the various participating organizations, like Target, Westwood College, and the National Children's Museum, get loaded in; let the 10-plus performance groups know when they need to arrive to perform on Saturday; run a tech rehearsal for the opening ceremony; verify that the speakers know where to check in; and send reminders to the 150-plus volunteers that help over the course of the day.
