Photograph taken last weekend at the BBG by mrgeneko on Flickr It's Sakura Matsuri time at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden--aka the annual cherry blossom festival--today and tomorrow. With over 100 cherry trees in full bloom, there are many events for visitors to enjoy, including taiko drumming, traditional tea ceremonies, origami folding workshops, instruction on drawing manga characters and many musical performances. Plus, the festivities are happening rain or shine. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is......

In time for this weekend's Sakura Matsuri (cherry blossom) Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, the BBG's web manager Dave Allen created this video using photographs taken every 3 minutes between April 18 and April 26, 2008 (there were over 3,000!). And, per the BBG, the original music is by Jon Solo, a Brooklyn-based musician and producer.......

Earlier this week, when Gothamist was looking at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's CherryWatch Blossom Status Map, things didn't look too promising for the weekend. But with yesterday's update, we see that the buds on the Prunus 'Kanzan' (the trees in a row on the left) are starting to open. Just in time for this weekend's Sakura Matsuri (cherry blossom festival). The schedule for the weekend includes over 60 events and performances in addition to......

Patrick Cullina is the VP of Horticulture and Facilities at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and New York's go-to guy for cherry trees (there are over 200 trees and 42 species at BBG alone!). Anita Jacobs is responsible for all of the programs that go along with the garden, speaking of which... The two-day Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival (New York's Rite of Spring) enters its 26th year at the Garden this weekend. Just after the......

Don't say we didn't warn you that this weekend was the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival. Look at how pink it was! Cherry Esplanade by chinycjo via Contribute.......

Don't forget that the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival is going on all weekend at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden! Detail from "Pedi-Cab Riders Enjoy Cherry Blossoms and View in Central Park" by MDPNY.......

The cherry blossoms along the Cherry Walk and Cherry Esplanade at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are at peak and this weekend is the Garden's Sakura Matsuri, or Cherry Blossom Festival. The weather should be perfect for blossom viewing. A big old high pressure system is sitting on top of us, blocking the low pressure system that may cause severe weather in Oklahoma and Texas from getting here. Not a cloud in the sky. High temperatures......

If you aren't in Indio, California this weekend then you aren't seeing Nine Inch Nails, the Arcade Fire or Spoon. You also aren't going to be suffering from heat stroke in a desert and buying $8 bottles of water, so we think you made a wise decision to skip Coachella. This weekend in New York we say goodbye to April, which if the old saying is correct - no more rain! Right? So throw away......

This weekend, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is celebrating Sakura Matsuri - the Cherry Blossom Festival! Gothamist is going to try to make it out there for fresh air and some beautiful nature. Check out the activities on Saturday and Sunday, but just walking around the gardens is fun and lying on the ground in the esplanade is blissful. Check the weather before you go...there was talk of rain on Saturday. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has......