Wooster Square Blooms At 50th Blossom Fest

Amid a riot of pink blossoms, the scent of spring in the air, and the sounds of Airborne’s ​“Groovin’ on a Sunday Afternoon,” Valentina Simon leapt and spun and twirled in front of the bandstand, prompting others to join her. 

While the skies were overcast, spirits were pirouetting at the Cherry Blossom Festival at a Wooster Square Park teeming with thousands on Sunday afternoon.

It was the 50th celebration since 1973 when the city’s Historic District Commission, the parks department and neighbors planted 72 Yoshino Japanese cherry blossom trees around Wooster Square’s perimeter.

That includes April 2020 and 2021 when, despite the cancellation of the festival due to Covid-19, the trees bloomed.

Seeing the cherry blossoms was a first for Jessica Hilton, who was relaxing on a lawn chair with her partner Mason Merchant and two friends. 

“We just moved from Dallas to Wooster Square, and it’s the single best decision ever,” she said. ​“We love how everyone gets involved and makes this a beautiful place to live.” 

Until they bloomed a week or so go, ​“I didn’t know what a cherry blossom was,” she said.

Allison Gallaspy, an emigre from Louisiana and a Fair Haven Heights denizen, said she came to the celebration last year. 

“This reminds me of festivals in New Orleans,” she said.

To one side of the bandstand, Elinor Hill and her dog Bentley were taking in the grooving tunes of Airborne.

“I come every year,” she said. ​“I enjoy the live music and all the food of New Haven. It’s all local. I love it.” 

Over on Academy Street, Many Donuts’ Cedric Emery was meticulously frying diminutive donuts in hot grease. 

“This was my wife’s idea,” he said, referring to Anita McLean, who was serving a customer a freshly cooked banana pudding mini donut. ​“She didn’t want to wait for the Big E for mini donuts, so she came up with her own.” 

The business, named for the capacity of its fryer to produce 1,200 donuts an hour, specializes in catering and events, with mouthwatering flavors that range from Cinnamon Sugar to Strawberry Shortcake to Oreo and Fruity Pebble, as well as Churro and Cookies and Cream.

Alongside Many Donuts, The Remedy Co. was promising alleviation of ​“your pain, anxiety, and sleep,” as well as gut health, with a variety of smoothies, fruit syrups, and kombuchas.

“We do all house fermented ingredients,” said founder and formulator Alexander Angeloff, who owns Cultured Cafe on State Street. ​“We are teaching people to eat in a way that reduces chronic disease and inflammation.”

Seated on a stoop on Academy, four women were about to tuck into an assortment of tacos and burritos from the Holy Guacamole food truck of Long Wharf’s Food Truck Paradise fame. 

“We all were classmates at the University of New Haven, and this was a fun way to get together,” said Crystal Lusso, who’s studying industrial organizational psychology. 

Nearby came a squeal. A group of girls were scaling a cherry blossom tree. 

“We love this,” said Lily, whose mother appeared just then with plates of chicken sandwiches drenched in macaroni and cheese. ​“This is the best time ever.”

Samantha and Matthew, who were observing the proceedings from their Academy Street balcony with dog Betty, had a similar take.

“We enjoy living here, and it’s a great thing to share,” Samantha said.

Likewise, it seems, Herbie J. Zampano who, research shows, has been known variously for biking through the snow, as well as his first-in-line showing at the 2011 opening of the downtown Apple store and the 2018 reopening of Sally’s.

“You can’t buy this anywhere,” he said, standing on a pink blossom stenciled on a walkway as he gestured at a group dancing to Airborne’s rendition of Bob Marley’s ​“One Love,” and a man striking a tree pose a few feet from them. ​“Anywhere.”