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James E. McGreevey |
William D. Watley |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Karen Wolfe - 609.292.2523 |
NEW JERSEY SPRINGS INTO FULL BLOOM More than 2,700 Cherry Trees
on Display from Newark, N.J. (March 24, 2003)—Here's a little known fact - New Jersey has more cherry trees than Washington D.C. And this spring, you will have the opportunity to see the largest cherry blossom collection in the United States at the 27th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival from Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 27. The Cherry Blossom Festival offers an opportunity to see one of the preeminent annual events in Newark, N.J., one of America's oldest cities and the largest city in the Garden State. More than 2,700 Japanese cherry blossom trees are expected to spring into full bloom at this year's festival, which will feature various events for visitors of all ages, including a variety of Japanese cultural activities, guided bus tours, a concert, a bike tour and a 10 K run. "The Annual Cherry Blossom Festival is just one of the many events in New Jersey that showcases the natural beauty of our state," said Nancy Byrne, executive director of the New Jersey Office of Travel and Tourism. "Each April, hundreds of people are awed by the beautiful colors of pink and white." Newark's Branch Book Park first adopted a pink and white hue in 1927, when Caroline Bamburger Fuld donated 2,000 cherry blossom trees to the Essex County Parks system in memory of her late husband. The site of the Cherry Blossom Festival, Branch Brook Park, is listed on both the State and National Register of Historic Places and was designed by the famed landscape architecture firm of Olmsted Brothers, a successor to Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park and Prospect Park in New York. Moreover, Branch Brook Park is the very first county park opened to the public in the United States. More information on the Cherry Blossom Festival can be obtained by contacting the New Jersey Office of Travel & Tourism, at 1-800-VISITNJ (847-4865); or by checking the website at www.visitnj.org
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