Cherry Blossoms Bloom, Even With No Fest

The warm spring air and blooming cherry blossom trees brought Karina Hayes, a teaching assistant at Hamden’s Helen Street Elementary School, to Wooster Square Thursday afternoon.

For Hayes, spring symbolizes a new beginning. She sees the cherry blossoms as a loving message from God, showing us that ​“there is still hope for the world,” even after a long and barren winter.

Originally from Brazil, Hayes loves sharing the beauty of springtime in Connecticut by helping her pre-school students make cherry blossoms out of paper.

Hayes was just one of the dozens of people strolling around Wooster Square and admiring the long-awaited blooming of its cherry blossom trees Thursday.

Since 1973, when 72 Yoshino Japanese cherry blossom trees were first planted around Wooster Square’s perimeter, the cherry blossoms have served as a popular attraction for people from across the city and the state.

Diane Newlan, Kay Abraham, Arvin Murch, and two of their friends were also in the park on Thursday. They have embarked on a pilgrimage to see the Wooster Square cherry blossom trees each year for the last decade. They view their annual trip as a moment to celebrate nature and herald the transition to spring.

Abraham, who recently turned 90 years old, said what she most loves about their annual outings to Wooster Square is ​“seeing other people enjoy themselves and the historic trees.”

The staff at United Way of Greater New Haven, a non-profit organization devoted to the New Haven community, use the blooming of cherry blossom trees to host an annual ​“wellness” outing. Yardley Messeroux, Nollysha Canteen, and J.R. Resto, members of the United Way Wellness Committee, planned the event, replete with games of frisbee and sandwiches from Nica’s Market, to remind their colleagues ​“to take care of each other and themselves.”

This all comes with the cancellation of this year’s annual Wooster Square Cherry Blossom Festival, previously scheduled for April 6. The Cherry Blossom Committee, housed within the Historic Wooster Square Association, made the decision on April 4th to cancel the festival after determining that the ​“weather conditions and forecast [were] too soggy and cold” for the planned date, according to an email from Sarah Greenblatt, president of the Historic Wooster Square Association. 

While several visitors to the park on Thursday told the Independent they wish that the festival had been postponed instead of cancelled, Greenblatt explained that planning a rain date was not possible because they ​“could not ask food trucks, bands, and children’s area performers to save two dates for which they would need to be paid.” 

Cheryl Szczarba, a co-chair of the Cherry Blossom Committee, said she hopes to replicate next year the activities and sponsors that they had lined up for the 2025 fest. The 2026 festival is set for April 12, 2026.

The cherry blossoms bloomed even without a festival to celebrate them, and New Haven families basked beneath them. Ramona and Greer Kidwell, two students at Edgewood School, loved seeing the cherry blossoms in their hometown, Washington, D.C. They were relieved that they would be able to continue celebrating the pink blooms after moving to New Haven. 

Ramona and Greer both ​“love New Haven” and spend their time ​“going to school, swimming, playing tennis, and performing ballet.” Ramona’s theater performances coincided with the Wooster Square Cherry Blossom Festival in previous years, so Ramona and Greer have not yet attended one of the festivals.

They spent Thursday afternoon, during their school’s spring break, eating Pepe’s pizza with their mom, Averi Pakulis, and gearing up for an afternoon at LEGOLAND. As much as they love their new tradition, they cannot help but miss the cherry blossom trees in Washington, D.C.