One of the best things about spring is when the cherry blossoms bloom, but you don’t have to travel to D.C. to bask under a canopy of truly gorgeous flowers. As it turns out, NJ actually has more cherry blossoms than our nation’s capital!
At Essex County Branch Brook Park in Newark and Belleville, everyone is on “bloom watch” this week, checking out those gorgeous pink and white flowers.
The Branch Brook Park Alliance has several events planned to celebrate the cherry blossom season and the beginning of spring. The bike race and 10K run were held last weekend.
This weekend is a 1-mile fun run and walk, plus Essex County Family Day on Saturday, both at Prudential Concert Grove in the Southern Division.
The culminating Bloomfest! festival on Sunday has a packed schedule of events on the Oval in the Northern Division, including Japanese cultural demonstrations, children’s activities, live music, a crafter’s marketplace, food and more.
The 360-acre Branch Brook Park has the honor of being the nation’s first county park and is located in the North Ward of Newark, between the neighborhoods of Forest Hill and Roseville. A portion of the park is also located within the Township of Belleville. Here you’ll find over 2,700 Japanese cherry trees just waiting to burst into hues of pink and white bloom. (If that’s not a perfect Instagram backdrop, we don’t know what is!)
If you’re curious to see how the blooms are coming along, you can check out a live webcam before you head over to the park. We highly encourage you visit at anytime during daylight, when you can see the beautiful whites and pinks wave under the sun. Even on an overcast day the trees look beautiful against the backdrop.
The park is very easily accessible off Route 280, and there are several entrances into the park. There are signs guiding you around, and you can pull over in any area and park your car to walk through the scenery.
Definitely make a stop near the Prudential Concert Grove so you can sit down for a picnic, walk the trails or gaze out at the waterfront. You can see the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the distance.
See the stunning blooms via a reel on our Instagram page or via a new slideshow for 2025.
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Read More:
The Best Places to See Cherry Blossoms in New Jersey and Beyond
This NJ Farm is The Next Best Thing to Visiting Tulips in Holland
Here’s Where to See Gorgeous Tulips in New Jersey
Don’t Miss These Beautiful Blooming Daffodils in NJ
Springtime Flower Festivals in NJ
