Photo courtesy of Parks on Tap

Parks on Tap, Philadelphia’s traveling beer garden, will kick off its 2021 season tomorrow with the first-ever Cherry Blossom edition. The garden will pop up at two locations outside the Fairmount Horticulture Center Arboretum (100 N. Horticultural Drive) through Sunday, April 25 and will partner with the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia to present the Shofuso Cherry Blossom Viewing. This new campaign includes three weeks of prime Cherry Blossom viewing, socially distanced activities, virtual programming, and new Japanese-inspired fare.

Parks on Tap will also feature products from Two Local’s Brewing, Philadelphia’s first Black-owned brewery, and will offer three weeks of free live performances to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month.

Hours and days for Parks on Tap outside the Horticulture Center will be Wednesday to Thursday, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturday from Noon to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday, from Noon to 10:00 p.m.

Admission is free. Food and drink are pay-as-you-go. Reservations are required, with walk-up reservations being offered if space permits. Masks and social distancing are required. For more information on the Parks on Tap safety plan, locations and directions, please visit www.parksontap.com.

As an added bonus for this year, Japanese artist Hiro Sakaguchi hand-painted a new map of Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Ohanami – helping visitors find Cherry Blossoms throughout Fairmount Park as well as other spots around the City of Philadelphia. The map (see image below) will be available for pick-up at Shofuso and sold as a 14” x 21” poster in the gift shop.

CHERRY BLOSSOM HISTORY

Flowering cherry trees have been a symbol of friendship between Philadelphia and Japan since 1,600 cherry trees were gifted from Japan to Philadelphia in 1926 to commemorate the American Sesquicentennial. In 1933, Japanese residents of the Philadelphia region gifted an additional 500 cherry trees and planted them alongside John B. Kelly Drive. The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia organized a planting of 1,000 new cherry trees in Philadelphia between 1998 and 2007. JASGP has been working with neighborhood communities continuously since 2008 to plant cherry trees in Clark Park, Franklin Square, and Morris Park to help build green and peaceful urban communities.