March 28, 2024

Cherry Blossom Festival Opens at 11 April 9, Costumed Dog Parade at Noon

artspark cherry blossom festival

The Great Mills High School Marching Band will open the 2017 ArtsPark Cherry Blossom Festival at 11 am April 9, 2017, on Rennell Avenue at the United States Colored Troops Memorial Monument Interpretive Center and march up Coral Drive to the Three Notch Theatre at Tulagi Place in Lexington Park, Maryland.

There are about 200 cherry trees along Coral Drive and extending through the disc golf course adjacent to Lancaster Park. They are the same species that blooms this time of year in Washington, DC. With the exceptionally warm February weather some of the trees were starting to bloom early. The cold snap stunted the blooms a bit, but three weeks before the festival they didn’t appear likely to hold back for long.

To raise funds to protect these trees and explore ways to make better use of local park land, St. Mary’s County Community Development Corp. enlisted a wide assortment of organizations to join forces and find ways to use the land for creative endeavors. The 2017 ArtsPark Cherry Blossom Festival is the inaugural event of this coalition to do that.

In addition to the marching band and dog parade, artists, dancers, singers, actors, and musicians will be performing all afternoon. There is no cost to attend. There is no cost to participate in the dog parade. There will be free Frisbees while supplies last.

Fundraising art activities include watering-coloring scarves, Paw Art, a spring photo shoot with cherry blossoms and the mascot of the Southern Maryland Animal Welfare League. Other activities invite participants to create public art through Yarn Bombing, Totem Mosaic, and Sidewalk Chalk Art. The Southern Maryland Disc Golf Association will offer lessons and demonstrations all afternoon. The Newtowne Players will offer stage craft classes at 1 and 3 pm.

There will be a variety of vendors offering food and other wares for sale. If you would like to set up as a vendor at the ArtsPark Cherry Blossom Festival, please contact Roz Racanello at [email protected] or leave a voice mail at 301-863-7700. The US Colored Troops Memorial Monument Interpretive Center will be open and staffed.

The lobby of Three Notch Theatre will hold the entries for the “What Does Lexington Park Mean to You? – Lexington Park Comes Alive!” mural competition sponsored by the St. Mary’s Community Development Corp. The winning entry will be announced at the Three Notch Theatre at 4 pm at the close of the 2017 ArtsPark Cherry Blossom Festival.

Artists and photographers wishing to create art during the event are welcome. Artists with completed works are invited to exhibit them in the Three Notch Theatre lobby along with the mural entries.

The ArtsPark can be accessed from the public parking lots on Tulagi Place at Freedom Park across from Linda’s Cafe or Lancaster Park next to the US Colored Troops Memorial Statue. Proceeds from the ArtsPark Cherry Blossom Festival will be shared among these organizations: SMAWL, Three Notch Theatre, Southern Maryland Disc Golf Association, United Committee for African-American Contributions, St. Mary’s County Arts Council, and the Save the Trees project of the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corp.

The ArtsPark Steering Committee would like to express its gratitude to its sponsors Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, Ballet Caliente, Showtime Deli, Dean Lumber & Supply, Franzen Realtors, Barbara and Glen Ives, Air Corps Embroidery, and the members of the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corp.

For more about Lexington Park, visit the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation’s Leader member page.

46940 South Shangri-La Drive, Suite 7; Lexington Park, MD 20653;

301-863-7700

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