The 9th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival & Plant Sale will be held Saturday, May 2nd at the Peekskill Riverfront from 10 am – 5 pm. 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 & crafts, games, bouncy slides, and more. Entrance to the event is free and will be held rain or shine. Sponsored by the Peekskill Rotary, all proceeds go back to the local community and to international projects through Rotary International.
Come Celebrate Mother’s Day, Bring Friends and Family, Take Reunion Photos
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival & Plant Sale is held the first Saturday in May, a week before Mother’s Day. The timing is perfect for finding gifts and enjoying Springtime in the park. Instead of splitting Mother’s Day visiting two or more families on that one Sunday or weekend, the entire family can celebrate Mother’s Day a week earlier at the Cherry Blossom Festival! Grandparents, parents, children, cousins, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, friends, all should have fun at the festival. Family photos taken with the beautiful Hudson River views and flowering cherry trees will be memorable. Then enjoy the following weekend, however you want to celebrate.
“Nature-bathe” Among the 100 Cherry Trees as You Stroll the Peekskill Riverfront Trail
In Japan, a healthful way of enjoying the beauty of the outdoors is often referred to as “nature-bathing”. You can do this by walking along the Peekskill Riverfront among the 100 flowering cherry trees donated and planted by the Rotary Club of Peekskill to commemorate the Club’s 100th Anniversary, which was on October 1, 2019.
Planted so as not to block the views of the river, and for train commuters to see, the tree linestarts behind the Lincoln Depot, continues along the train line on the trail toward Fleischmann Pier, where the last of the 100 cherry blossom trees can be seen.
There are two varieties: Yoshino, also known as the Japanese flowering cherry with its vibrant display of white-pink blossoms; and Kwanza cherry with deep pink double-blossoms and stunning leaves that change colors throughout the seasons. The two types are responsible for the spectacular blossoming show each spring in Washington, DC.
See Why “Peekskill is a Friendly Town”
Meet local Rotarians, your neighbors, community members, and student volunteers working the event. Rotarians will be grilling morning ham, egg and cheese sandwiches, and afternoon burgers. This is in addition to the food trucks. See for yourself why Peekskill earned the moniker, “Peekskill is a Friendly Town.”
“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 to international projects throughout the year” said Chris Calabrese, Peekskill High School graduate and current President of the Club. “Visit the Rotary tent to see what the Club does all year long, the impact on our community. Learn about the many scholarships available and recent grants including to 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,” said Chris Calabrese. “Bring your kids as the Club’s “Literacy Lovers” will be giving out free gently used children’s books. To date, over 35,000 free books so far to Peekskill children.“
State-of-the Art Recording Studio Opened Fall of 2025 at Peekskill High School
The Club is especially proud of the over $14,500 grant to Peekskill High School to buy and build a state-of-the-art recording studio. This large grant was proposed and delivered by Rich Swann when he was Rotary President. A Peekskill High School graduate himself, Rich interviewed students and asked what would make them happy to come to school. This was one of the answers. Rotarian Adrienne LaValley worked with Rich to develop this list of materials to make the students’ dreams come true.
