Release Date: Mar 16, 2022

National Landing In Bloom: Starlit Melodies, Blossom-Inspired Art, Free Flowers, Kite Flying, And More Ahead For Cherry Blossom Season

National Landing Business Improvement District (BID), Arlington County, Amazon, and JBG SMITH Announce Programming in Partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival

ARLINGTON, VA - MARCH 16, 2022 – The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID) today announced details of its forthcoming Cherry Blossom Festival activations and festivities in partnership with Arlington County, Amazon, and JBG SMITH. This year will mark the second year of their collective partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival as a way to extend the Festival’s footprint into Virginia and reinforce National Landing as the region’s next exciting innovation and entertainment district.

“Springtime is truly the most wonderful time in National Landing and this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival will mark a season of new beginnings for our neighborhood as our partners and our community come together in celebration,” said Tracy Gabriel, President and Executive Director, National Landing BID. “The National Landing BID is inspired by the collaborative efforts of our partners at Arlington County, Amazon, and JBG SMITH without which this year’s festivities would not be possible.”

“We are so excited to welcome everyone to Virginia Highlands to celebrate spring and our community,” said Katie Cristol, Arlington County Board Chair. “The magic of the Cherry Blossom Kite Festival will be a fun day for all with free kites, music, games, art, and more. We are so thankful to host our first festival in two years.”

As Cherry Blossom season kicks off on March 20, National Landing will host a variety of community-oriented, family-friendly events ranging from a Kite Festival to a sunset musical showdown and more. There will also be a host of surprise moments, including a flower giveaway to mark the beginning of spring at the recently renovated Crystal City Metro Plaza, in addition to a variety of art and light installations throughout the neighborhood.

“National Landing’s vibrant community is among one of the many reasons we chose Arlington as the home of our second headquarters,” said Patrick Phillippi, Senior Manager of Community Engagement at Amazon. “In partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, we are so excited to see the festival’s footprint grow across the region to include National Landing and bring these exciting festivities to our neighbors here in Virginia.”

Throughout Cherry Blossom season, National Landing will also invite the neighborhood’s businesses to decorate their storefronts with blossom-themed decorations as part of its City in Bloom initiative. Additionally, local businesses are invited to participate in the Festival’s Cherry Picks program, which encourages restaurants to add pink, Cherry Blossom-inspired items to their menus. As residents and visitors explore the neighborhood, they can also view sculptures created by local artists at 1550 Crystal Drive and the entrance of Long Bridge Park esplanade.

With the return of the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s in-person events, National Landing will proudly host its first official signature Festival event, Enchanted Rhapsody. An evening of Taylor Swift versus Queen songs performed by the Edgewood String Quartet will welcome the bliss of springtime and the beauty of the cherry blossoms on Saturday, April 9. Specialty drinks and food will be available for purchase from RĀKO Coffee Roasters and other local eateries for a romantic date night or family-friendly evening.

“We are thrilled to work alongside the National Landing BID, Amazon and the county for the second year in a row to bring the National Cherry Blossom Festival across the Potomac to Virginia as part of our long-standing commitment to local art and culture,” said Christy Donato, Senior Vice President, Brand + Marketing at JBG SMITH. “The NCBF is the DC region’s hallmark event, bringing local residents and visitors from around the world to the neighborhood to welcome spring. The expansion of the festival into National Landing celebrates the incredible existing community, retailers and restaurants while also highlighting the amazing progress that is well underway as the area continues its transformation to a world-class destination.”

See below for more details on all of the exciting events coming to National Landing throughout Cherry Blossom season:

Synetic Theater Flower Giveaway
What: As the National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off on March 20, National Landing residents passing through the recently-renovated Crystal City Metro Plaza will be greeted by Synetic Theater performers who will be giving away 100 free flower bouquets. This date also celebrates the first day of spring.
When: Sunday, March 20 – 11 AM – 12 PM
Where: Crystal City Metro, 1750 S Clark St, Arlington, VA 22202
Cost: Free

Pink Lights at Long Bridge Park Esplanade
What: National Landing’s ¾ mile-long Long Bridge Park Esplanade will illuminate the Potomac River and Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary with pink lights throughout the Cherry Blossom Festival
When: Sunday, March 20 through Saturday, April 16
Where: 475 Long Bridge Drive, Arlington, VA 22202
Cost: Free

Art in Bloom Sculptures
When: Sculptures will be on display March 20 through April 16
Where: 1550 Crystal Drive and 475 Long Bridge Drive, Arlington, VA 22202
Cost: Free

Blossom Kite Festival
What: Arlington’s own Blossom Kite Festival will return to Virginia Highlands Park. The free event will feature live entertainment, food trucks, DIY kite kits and of course, kite flying. Free kite kits will be available for the first 100 attendees.
When: Saturday, March 26 10 AM - 4:30 PM. Rain date will be March 27.
Where: Virginia Highlands Park, 1600 S Hayes St, Arlington, VA 22202
Cost: Free; No registration required.

Enchanted Rhapsody
What: Don’t miss a starlit night listening to a live set of Taylor Swift versus Queen songs performed by the Edgewood String Quartet to welcome in the bliss of springtime and the beauty of the cherry blossoms. Specialty drinks and food will be available for purchase from RĀKO and other local eateries.
When: Saturday, April 9 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Where: 6th St S & S Ball St, Arlington, VA 22202
Cost: Free; Registration required.

For more information on these events, visit: https://nationallanding.org/events/calendar or follow along on social @NationalLanding.

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About National Landing Business Improvement District

The National Landing Business Improvement District (BID) is a public-private partnership established to promote and activate the area’s business, retail, restaurant and residential community through placemaking, public art, transportation, economic development, events, marketing and promotion. This dynamic, mixed-use urban center encompasses the vibrant Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard-Arlington neighborhoods, and includes more than 26,000 residents, nearly 12 million square feet of office space, approximately 5,500 hotel rooms and over 450 restaurants and shops. Already Virginia’s largest walkable downtown, National Landing is in the midst of an exciting transformation driven by billions of dollars in public and private investment that will deliver new and enhanced housing, offices, parks, transportation and infrastructure in the coming years. The National Landing BID is helping to steer this growth in ways that are sustainable and enhance the area’s diversity and livability. For more information, visit NationalLanding.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About JBG SMITH

JBG SMITH owns, operates, invests in and develops a dynamic portfolio of mixed-use properties in the high growth and high barrier-to-entry submarkets in and around Washington, DC. Through an intense focus on placemaking, JBG SMITH cultivates vibrant, amenity-rich, walkable neighborhoods throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Over half of JBG SMITH’s holdings are in the National Landing submarket in Northern Virginia, where it serves as the developer for Amazon’s new headquarters, and where Virginia Tech’s planned new $1 billion Innovation Campus is located. JBG SMITH's portfolio currently comprises 17.4 million square feet of high-growth office, multifamily and retail assets at share, 98% of which are Metro-served. It also maintains a development pipeline encompassing 16.6 million square feet of mixed-use development opportunities. JBG SMITH is committed to the operation and development of green, smart, and healthy buildings and plans to maintain carbon neutral operations annually. For more information on JBG SMITH please visit www.jbgsmith.com.