boston

The biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades across North America

The biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades across North America

Kevin

If one of these parades is located near to you, that is likely the definitive parade to you. Yet there are a more than a dozen notable annual St. Patrick’s Day parades in North America. Biggest can mean size of the crowd or number of participants. Photos here are from South Boston.

St Patrick's day parade South Boston

In the USA

Boston MA
Chicago IL
Cleveland OH
Denver CO
Detroit MI
Holyoke MA
Kansas City MO
New Orleans LA
New York City
Philadelphia PA
Pittsburgh PA
Quad cities/Davenport IA
San Francisco CA
Savanah GA

Canada

Quebec City
Montreal
Toronto

The Kanzans are Coming!

Kevin

As some flowering cherry trees bloom early and some bloom later in the season, Kanzan Cherry is king of the late bloomers. (Also known as Kwanzan Cherry.) They are just now beginning to bloom in eastern Massachusetts. Though they appear as quite small red flowers today …. by Monday or Tuesday they will look like bold pink carnations.

The opening photo here is a past year at the Charles River Esplanade in Boston.

And here is what they look like today, about 15 miles north of Boston.

#hanami #sakura #cherryblossom #boston

2021 Cherry Blossom Watch : Boston MA

2021 Cherry Blossom Watch : Boston MA

Kevin

For some folks, the annual blooms of flowering trees are highly treasured. While other trees – magnolias, crabapple, etc – are spectacular, ornamental cherry trees are commonly deemed to be the pinnacle of flowering trees. In Japan, the word Hanami means the viewing enjoyment of flowers (hana), but specifically the blossoms of cherry trees.

In Tokyo Japan, the reported peak blooming occurred around March 22. In Washington D.C., it was March 28 this year. But here in the northeast USA, the blooming is just starting.

Here are a few samples from Boston this past weekend. The first photo is of a Saucer Magnolia in full bloom. The squirrel sits upon a Yoshino Cherry tree that has not yet bloomed at all. The close-ups are both Sargeant Cherry as it was just beginning to bloom.

2020 Cherry Blossom Watch – Boston Update

2020 Cherry Blossom Watch – Boston Update

Kevin

April 19 – Boston
At the Public Garden, the flowering plum trees are solidly at peak bloom. Although some cherry trees are beginning to drop their flower petals, color will soon be reborn once the crabapples begin to bloom.

The jackpot of cherry trees is located nearby at the Charles River Esplanade.  Here, multiple varieties of cherry trees are near peak bloom and should be giving a great display all this week.  Of course, the Kwanzan Cherry trees (near the Hatch Memorial Shell) have not yet begun to bloom.

Charles River Esplanade, Boston Massachusetts

April 21 – Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Cherry trees near City Hall have not yet begun to bloom.  Just across the street at Langdon Park, the prettiest tree in Portsmouth is just beginning to display the first few flowers.  Downtown on State Street, flowing plum trees are displaying good color.

See my cherry blossom report from two weeks ago here:
https://www.kevindavisphoto.com/blog/2020-cherry-blossom-watch-boston-ma/