BizBash
  • Production & Strategy
  • Catering & Design
  • Event Tech & Virtual
  • Venues & Destinations
  • Meetings & Trade Shows
  • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Events
Topics
  • Production & Strategy
  • Catering & Design
  • Event Tech & Virtual
  • Venues & Destinations
  • Meetings & Trade Shows
  • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Events
  • Industry Buzz
  • BizBash Lists
Resources
  • On-Demand
  • White Papers & E-Books
  • Podcast
  • Magazine
  • Events
  • Awards
  • Subscribe
User Tools
Follow BizBash
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter X icon Pinterest iconYouTube iconTikTok
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Get Featured
  • Press Releases
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Subscribe to Magazine
Follow BizBash
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter X icon Pinterest iconYouTube iconTikTok
  • Production & Strategy
  • Catering & Design
  • Event Tech & Virtual
  • Venues & Destinations
  • Meetings & Trade Shows
  • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Events
  • On-Demand
  • White Papers & E-Books
  • Podcast
  • Magazine
  • Events
  • Awards
  • Subscribe
  1. Catering & Design
  2. Event Design & Decor

Pretty In Pink: 16 Spring-Friendly Ideas From National Cherry Blossom Festival Events

Get inspired with ideas for event marketing, decor, and entertainment from the annual spring festival.

Ian Zelaya
April 11, 2018

The 2018 National Cherry Blossom Festival, which officially comes to a close on Sunday, presented four weeks of free and ticketed events in Washington and the surrounding region that celebrated the start of spring and the 106th anniversary of Tokyo gifting cherry blossom trees to the city.

Opening ceremony and fund-raising events, destination marketing company activations, and themed pop-up bars and art exhibits all contributed to the annual celebration with design and decor, entertainment, and activity ideas inspired by the Japanese flower.

Here's a look at some of the most eye-catching ideas from official and adjacent festival events this year.

Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar
Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar

Drink Company, the company behind Washington’s Instagram-friendly pop-up bars Miracle on Seventh Street and the Game of Thrones Pop-Up Bar, brought back its Japanese culture-theme bar for a second year. Drink Company partnered with the National Cherry Blossom Festival for the pop-up, which serves thematic cocktails in eye-popping rooms inspired by cherry blossoms, Tokyo streets, and Japanese pop culture. The design of each room was led by Drink Company’s special projects leaders Matt Fox and Adriana Aspiazu. The bar features a canopy of around 90,000 cherry blossoms, which is five times more blossoms than the bar had last year. The pop-up debuted March 1 and is open through April 29 at 1841 Seventh Street NW.

Photo: Farrah Skeiky
National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony
National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony

The festival’s opening ceremony took place March 25 at the Warner Theatre. Placed on seats in the theater were LED bracelets sponsored by the Japan National Tourism Organization. The bracelets were set to synchronize with parts of the show—as music played, the bracelets lit up in unison. The ceremony was produced by the festival along with event planning company the Webster Group.

Photo: Aaron Webb
National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony
National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony

The ceremony featured performances by musicians including piano player Akiko Yano. The stage was lit in purple and featured giant cherry blossom cutouts. EventEQ handled the event’s audiovisual elements and stage design.

Photo: Aaron Webb
National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony
National Cherry Blossom Festival Opening Ceremony

The Shodo Girls from the Fukuoka Prefectural Yahata Chuo High School performed live calligraphy that involved painting strokes on a large sheet of paper.

Photo: Aaron Webb
Pink Tie Party
Pink Tie Party

The festival’s annual Pink Tie Party fund-raiser, sponsored by ANA airlines, took place March 15 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Design Foundry designed the event, which featured cherry blossom projections on the ceiling of the venue’s atrium.

Photo: Courtesy of the Pink Tie Party
Pink Tie Party
Pink Tie Party

The main floor of the event had a bar wrapped with paintings of cherry blossoms on a blue sky.

Photo: Pepe Gomez
Pink Tie Party
Pink Tie Party

Sponsors of the event had their own tables, which were decorated with hanging cherry blossoms and lanterns. 

Photo: Pepe Gomez
Pink Tie Party
Pink Tie Party

A bar sponsored by event host Trade Center Management Associates featured colorful, vibrant illustrations and served sparking wine and cherry brandy. 

Photo: Pepe Gome
Pink Tie Party
Pink Tie Party

An installation on the steps of the venue showcased cascading rows of umbrellas, which were placed in front of a painting of cherry blossoms in front of the Jefferson Memorial. 

Photo: Pepe Gomez
Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar
Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar

The center bar combines the architectural elements of pagodas and tea houses and is decorated with paper cranes and lucky cats. 

Photo: Farrah Skeiky
Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar
Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar

A garden room decorated with boxwood, a variety of florals, and 1,300 monarch butterflies pays tribute to Washington in spring bloom.

Photo: Farrah Skeiky
Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar
Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar

A room inspired by Japanese pop culture features a 10-foot-tall Godzilla robot that was built by Andrew Herndon. The robot stands in front of a mural of the monster’s destroyed city, painted by Andew Funk. The installation also features Mothra, which is Gozilla’s nemesis.

Photo: Farrah Skeiky
Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar
Cherry Blossom Pop-Up Bar

One room in the bar is inspired by Tokyo’s Memory Lane—an alley that has dozens of bars, bright lights, and late night street food—and features signs and lanterns with Japanese writing, and a spray painted mural that depicts the alley.

Photo: Farrah Skeiky
DC Blooms
DC Blooms

Maggie O’Neill, a Washington-based designer and official National Cherry Blossom Festival artist, debuted her cherry blossom-theme pop-up exhibit March 30. The exhibit, open every Saturday and Sunday at 1643 Connecticut Avenue NW through April 15, features the #FinesInFullBloom installation created from parking tickets. The installation pokes fun at the pink parking ticket that local drivers can receive with a floor-to-ceiling, origami-inspired blossoming structure. The exhibit also features 12 of O’Neill’s pop impressionistic-style paintings, 40 works on paper created specifically for the festival, and cherry blossom-theme merchandise.

Photo: Jane Merkel
Destination DC’s “Spring in D.C.”
Destination DC’s “Spring in D.C.”

Washington’s destination marketing organization hosted a spring-theme consumer event at Grand Central Terminal in New York March 8. The event had a giant mural created by the organization’s team, which invited passersby to color in a drawing of the city with giant crayons.

Photo: Courtesy of Destination DC
Destination DC's “Spring in D.C.”
Destination DC's “Spring in D.C.”

Guests could pose as the statue of President Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial, in a chair designed by Hargrove. 

Photo: Courtesy of Destination DC
Latest in Event Design & Decor
BET's 45th anniversary dinner was held on June 7 at the Beverly Wilshire.
Event Design & Decor
How BET’s Stylish Anniversary Dinner Honored the Past—and Embraced the Future
The gala took place on April 26, with a sports-centric design and production from the museum's internal events team.
Event Design & Decor
Why Guests Wore Sneakers to This Black-Tie Gala
Enso Creative
Event Design & Decor
8 Steal-Worthy Event Ideas BizBash Spotted on Instagram
Projection mapping helped immerse guests into the theme.
Event Design & Decor
‘Feathers Galore’: Step Inside the Colorful Carnaval Ambiance of City Harvest’s Annual Gala
Related Stories
Segall said the concept of the photo shoot was inspired by the movie’s message: “Through the darkness, you’ll find beauty.' Adding that, “You see a lot of shoots that are light and airy or full of color, but not too many that are dark and sophisticated.”
Event Design & Decor
Stay Inspired with Event Design Ideas From This 'Mulan'-Theme Dinner
Artechouse ‘In Peak Bloom’ Exhibition
Event Design & Decor
In Bloom: 19 Highlights From the National Cherry Blossom Festival and Other Events
For the seated dinner, the museum’s Samuel Oschin Pavilion was transformed to resemble King Tut’s royal tomb. Video mapping from Bart Kresa Design masked the space shuttle Endeavour, turning it into the dining room’s focal point.
Event Design & Decor
How This Gala Hosted Dinner Inside King Tut's Tomb
Buona Sera Signorina, Kiss Me Goodnight
Event Design & Decor
Get Inspired by 15 Colorful Twists on a Tropical Theme
More in Event Design & Decor
Event Design & Decor
How BET’s Stylish Anniversary Dinner Honored the Past—and Embraced the Future
A rich color palette, archival footage, and a carefully curated performance lineup brought legacy and innovation together for this 480-guest celebration of BET’s 45th year.
BET's 45th anniversary dinner was held on June 7 at the Beverly Wilshire.
Event Design & Decor
Why Guests Wore Sneakers to This Black-Tie Gala
At the California Science Center’s 26th annual Discovery Ball, attendees enjoyed Dodger Dogs, danced on a basketball court, and raised paddles—or foam fingers—for a good cause.
The gala took place on April 26, with a sports-centric design and production from the museum's internal events team.
Event Design & Decor
8 Steal-Worthy Event Ideas BizBash Spotted on Instagram
Take a peek at Instagram photos full of wow-worthy event ideas to serve as inspiration for your next gathering.
Enso Creative
Event Design & Decor
‘Feathers Galore’: Step Inside the Colorful Carnaval Ambiance of City Harvest’s Annual Gala
The NYC food rescue organization hosted its yearly fundraising event, which featured a vibrant tropical theme inspired by lively cultural celebrations.
Projection mapping helped immerse guests into the theme.
Event Design & Decor
This Historic Theater Turned a 100-Year Milestone Into a One-of-a-Kind Gala
The Pasadena Playhouse celebrated its centennial with a bold, unconventional gala featuring immersive projection mapping and a surprise escrow announcement—all while shattering fundraising records.
While officially buying the building before the gala was always the goal, event planner Sam Palmer was careful to ensure the gathering would be successful even if the timing didn’t work out. “We had a million different plans, because quite frankly, a million details needed to go right for that to happen,' he said. 'Our leadership and board worked very, very hard to get us across the finish line, and it was a beautiful moment.”
Event Design & Decor
See Inside This Year’s Bright Blue Public Art Fund Party
The annual spring benefit maintained its playful energy with pingpong tables and ice cream bars.
Blue hues covered everything from the menus to decorative textiles to pingpong tabletops.
Most Popular
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Cannes Lions 2025: 90+ Bold Builds and Big Ideas From the French Festival of Creativity
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
50 Cool Event Ideas You May Have Missed From Liquid I.V., Martha Stewart, Foot Locker, and More
Sports
Fanatics Fest 2025: This Mega Celebration of Sports Fandom Returned For a Bigger, Bolder Second Year
Industry Insiders
Inside the Build: How Bellagio Fountain Club Delivers F1® Weekend’s Most Luxurious Hospitality Experience
Brands & Event Pros
Industry Innovators 2025: 10 Brands That Took Experiential Marketing to a Whole New Level
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Gov Ball 2025: 25+ Eye-Catching Brand Activations From the NYC Music Festival
Event Design & Decor
Renowned Event Designer David Stark Breaks Down His Creative Process
What inspires one of the industry’s most creative minds? The chief creative officer of David Stark Design and Production walks us through the design rules he actually follows—and the ones he ignores.
For a Kiehl’s event, Stark turned larger-than-life calendula products into striking art pieces, which were overflowing with flowers as a nod to the brand's natural ingredients.
Event Design & Decor
12 Desert-Inspired Event Ideas From This Skincare Brand's Dreamy Influencer Trip
Native whisked 15 beauty editors to an Arizona resort to test how moisturizing its new products really are.
The welcome dinner took place at a communal table flecked with decor in desert-inspired hues. The Valley handled furniture rentals, while Let’s Bash provided tabletop rentals.
Event Design & Decor
See Inside HBO's Stunning 'The White Lotus' Premiere Event
HBO and UNBOXED GROUP transformed a Hollywood soundstage into a lush Thai resort for the HBO series' highly anticipated season three premiere.
'The umbrella ceiling was a visual highlight and one of our favorite design elements,' said UNBOXED GROUP's Kyle Absolom. 'It featured over 600 white umbrellas, backlit to create a soft glow in that area.'
Event Design & Decor
10 Glam Stations That Stole the Spotlight at Events
Instead of a free water bottle or notebook, these activations send guests home with a glow-up.
It's no secret that glam stations are prevalent at music festivals. At Coachella 2024, Pinterest activated with a fashion and beauty experience called Manifest Station, produced by MKG. Inside, fans could get glowy beauty looks created by celebrity makeup artists from trend-inspired menus built through collaborative boards on Pinterest. Popular options included bold, colorful graphic liners; gemstones; pearls; and metallic stickers. See more: Coachella 2024: Here's What You Missed From This Year's Coolest Parties and Brand Activations
Event Design & Decor
Oscars 2025: Steal-Worthy Event Design Highlights From Hollywood's Biggest Week
Luxe neutral tones and structural elements reigned supreme in this year's event design, popping up at star-studded bashes from Vanity Fair, Universal, Searchlight, ESSENCE, and more.
Governors Ball
Event Design & Decor
17 Stunning (and Unique) Ways Events Have Immersed Guests in Nature
These innovative event designs used natural settings and elements to transport guests to breathtakingly beautiful environments—both indoors and out.
Guests at the viewing party enjoyed a seated meal under a canopy of lush leaves. Avenge Creative worked with vendors including Unmatched Lighting, Jackson Shrub Supply, Event Carpet Pros Inc., GifCube, Town & Country Event Rentals, and Stitch. See more: Golden Globes 2025: See Inside the Award Show, Plus How the Wildfires Are Affecting Other Hollywood Events
Page 1 of 271
Next Page
BizBash
Follow BizBash
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter X icon Pinterest iconYouTube iconTikTok
  1. Privacy Policy
  2. CCPA: Do Not Sell My Personal Info
  3. Contact Us
  4. Site Map
© 2025 Connect Biz, LLC. All rights reserved.