Brooklyn Botanic Garden's cherry blossom festival returns to Prospect Park: The 35th edition of Sakura Matsuri in Prospect Park Experts predict peak bloom will take place during the festival

Spring is in the air, cherry trees are nearing peak bloom and this weekend New Yorkers can celebrate the season and its traditions in Prospect Park.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden will host its 35th annual Sakura Matsuri - or cherry blossom festival. Music performances, workshops and other activities to celebrate Japanese culture, both traditional and modern, will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

"I can't think of anything more spectacular than sitting under a canopy of wispy pink cherry blossoms and listening to taiko drumming," said the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's director of external affairs, Anita Jacobs.

The festival began...