We went to Events DC Cherry Blast at Dock 5 at Union Market. We snapped president of the National Cherry Blossom Festival Diana Mayhew with Events DC president and CEO Greg O’Dell.

The event was a kickoff celebration to the finale weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and transformed Dock 5 into a vibrant streetscape highlighting Japan’s dynamic culture and ambiance. The party included a communal marketplace featuring an eclectic array of authentic Japanese street food curated by acclaimed chefs Erik Bruner‐Yang of Maketto and Scott Drewno of The Source. Here, Erik Moses, senior vice president and managing director of Events DC, with Marian Hill and her son, Weber Shandwick’s Emil Hill.

There was a music soundstage with DJs and live performances throughout the evening and a night market with a varied group of Japanese culture-inspired artisan vendors selling their creative crafts. Guests also enjoyed an interactive art showcase featuring art inspired by the spirit of the cherry blossoms and Japanese culture created by DC‐based artists, classic Nintendo video games from the NES all the way to through the current console generation, and a VIP Lounge that included an open bar with special cocktail pairings. To top it all off, there was a sumo wrestling exhibition and guests received a commemorative event shirt designed by Soul & Ink. Here, Amanda Hand with Lancer Photography’s Kaz Sasahara and BrandLinkDC’s Leah Benoit.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival included four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty and community spirit. Here, Spoken English’s Matt Crowley and James Wozniuk holding the restaurant’s pork belly and shrimp.

Visual artist Superwaxx is flanked by No Kings Collective’s Brandon Hill and Peter Chang with the artwork they created during the event.