The U District in Bloom: Festival Highlights from Cherry Blossom Season

April 25, 2025

The U District was bursting with energy this spring as the iconic cherry blossoms began to bloom. In celebration of Seattle’s favorite sign of the season, more than 80 U District businesses joined together for the fourth annual U District Cherry Blossom Festival, held March 21 through April 6. With blossom-inspired bites, limited-edition drinks, and colorful window displays throughout the neighborhood, the U District proudly welcomed visitors to Seattle’s most beloved peak bloom destination—visiting the UW Quad’s renowned Yoshino cherry trees.

Adding extra charm to the neighborhood, dozens of shop owners decked out their storefronts with cherry blossom-themed decorations! Participating businesses voted amongst themselves and declared Shiga’s Imports as the Winning Window, with runners up at Cheba Hut and Pink Gorilla Games. Thank you to all of the participating businesses for turning the neighborhood into a walkable celebration of spring and making the journey to the UW Quad even more memorable.

And the blossoms brought the crowds: the U District saw over 657,000 unique visitors over the course of the festival, generating 1.86+ million visits. The UW Quad itself attracted over 157,000 unique visitors, accounting for 208,000+ total visits during peak bloom during the festival dates.

From first-time visitors to longtime locals, the U District Cherry Blossom Festival offered everyone a reason to rediscover the neighborhood and celebrate the season.

The U District Partnership thanks its event sponsors and partners KUOW, The Stranger, Boba Up, Sip House, Sizzle & Crunch, Sweet Alchemy, and Shiga’s Imports for their generous support of the 2025 U District Cherry Blossom Festival.