The 8th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival & Plant Sale will be held Saturday, May 3, at the Peekskill Riverfront from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. In addition to the plant sale, there will be music, food trucks, craft and food vendors, raffles, children’s activities such as flowerpot painting, arts and crafts, games and bouncy slides.
The event is free and will be held rain or shine. Sponsored by the Peekskill Rotary, all proceeds go to the local community and to international projects through Rotary International.
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival & Plant Sale is held on the first Saturday in May, a week before Mother’s Day. The timing is geared toward finding gifts and enjoying springtime in the park. A family photo area will be set up to commemorate the event. Attendees can use their own phones, so there is no cost for this.
There are 100 cherry trees planted along the Peekskill Riverfront, donated and planted by the Rotary Club of Peekskill to commemorate the club’s 100th anniversary, which was on Oct. 1, 2019.
Rotarian Chappy Manzer, with his company Manzer’s Landscape & Design, purchased, planted, and watered the trees at a greatly reduced cost. He chose two varieties of cherry trees: Yoshino, also known as the Japanese flowering cherry, has a vibrant display of white-pink blossoms; and Kwanza cherry, which has deep pink double-blossoms and stunning leaves that change colors throughout the seasons. The two types are responsible for the blossoming show each spring in Washington, D.C.
Planted so as not to block the views of the river, and for train commuters to see, they are planted starting behind the Lincoln Depot, along the train line, and on the trail toward Fleischmann Pier where the last of the 100 cherry blossom trees can be seen.
“This year’s event is designed to offer a day of outdoor fun for the community, and to raise money to give back to the local community and international projects throughout the year,” said Tony Washington, 2024-25 club president. “It will also showcase what the Rotary Club of Peekskill does all year long and the impact it has on our community. A prominently placed Rotary tent will have visuals and handouts about the many scholarships available and grants that Rotary has given out recently. These grants include funds for the Peekskill High School Iron Devils Robotics Team, New Era Creative Space, Black Diamonds Academic Success, the Daisy Jopling Music Mentorship Foundation and much more.”
The all-volunteer organization of about 80 members awards 15 college scholarships to students from Peekskill, Hendrick Hudson, and Walter Panas high schools. The Rotary provides financial support for community youth to attend summer camps, leadership programs and vocational education to first generation Americans, donates to veterans, cancer support, drug prevention and rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s Association, Autism Helps, the Salvation Army, Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP) and more.
