Where to see and celebrate the annual burst of color from LI cherry

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Check out some of LI’s hot cars

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ike a floral fireworks display,

springtime on Long Island ex-

plodes in bursts of pink, fuchsia

and white as magnolia trees,

cherry blossoms and flowering

pears blow winter far away.

Two special festivals glory in the

arrival of the spring blossoms on the

Island; both Greenport Village and Stony

Brook University put on annual cherry

blossom celebrations focusing on flow-

ers, family and fun.

GREENPORT CHERRY BLOSSOM

FESTIVAL PETAL TOUR

The monthlong Greenport Cherry

Blossom Festival Petal Tour kicks off

its fourth edition Saturday at 9 a.m.

with the Run for the Petals 5K

(events.elitefeats .com/23petals).

The race will take runners (and walk-

ers) of all ages on a tour through the

one-square mile of Greenport Village

and past many of the 300-plus cherry

and pear trees that will flower over the

next few weeks. Register digitally until

midnight Friday ($30 commemorative

T-shirt included) or walk on before race

time ($35; T-shirt, $20).

If you can’t make the 5K, you can still

enjoy the Petal Tour until June 12. Agro-

Council, a 9-year-old not-for-profit

promoting agricultural activities, pub-

lishes a self-guided walking tour map of

all the flowering trees (and their

species) plus the locations of 25-plus

participating businesses offering cherry

blossom-themed drinks, sweets and

novelty items. Make it a botanical gar-

den walk, a petal-strewn pub crawl, a

shopping stroll or all of the above.

“It’s become a real community event,”

says AgroCouncil founder Deborah

Pittorino. “It gets locals out looking at

the trees and gets people into the shops

before the season starts.”

Proceeds from the Petal Run and the

merchant donations for the map benefit

the Greenport Village Tree Committee,

which provided the original map in 2018

and which plants and maintains all the

curbside trees, and the Business Improve-

ment Committee. Pick up the physical

map at participating merchants or online

(villageofgreenport.org; agrocouncil.org).

CHERRY BLOSSOM STOPS

IN GREENPORT VILLAGE

Tour highlights include the Cherry

Blossom Crepe, with cherry vanilla ice

cream and Nutella, topped with whipped

cream and a maraschino cherry ($13) at

Encanto Crepes and Cafe (117 Main St.;

631-477-6533). Pair it with an iced Colom-

bian supremo coffee from their Yam-

style cold drip tower ($5-$6).

Spoil your fur baby across the street

at Harbor Pet (120 Main St.;

631-477-1518) with 10% off anything pink,

including harnesses ($19.99-$69.99) and

their Life is Grruff brand of dog treats

baked with grains from Greenport

Harbor Brewery ($9.99-$34.99). You’ll

find pink pooch gear on a display and

throughout the store.

Claudio’s Waterfront (111 Main St.;

631-477-0627) has always participated in

the Petal Tour, but special this year is

that for the first time Claudio’s Tavern

& Grill (the legacy original restaurant)

will also be open. Both venues will

offer Cherry Blossom Vacation, a re-

freshing blend of Deep Eddy Orange,

Malibu, pineapple, cranberry and gin-

ger ale ($16).

THINK

PINK

Mikey O’Brien and his sister Audrey, both of Greenport, run through the Third Street Park and Playground in Greenport as the trees bloom a few years ago.

BY NATALIA DE CUBA ROMERO

Special to Newsday

Where to see and celebrate the annual burst of color from LI cherry trees

RANDEE DADDONA

NEWSDAY, FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2023 newsday.com Explore LI S3

Astronomy Day at the

Vanderbilt Mansion.

Heading north, American Beech (300

Main St.; 631 477-5939) serves up yogurt

panna cotta ($12) with a local cherry

blossoms reduction, cherry syrup and

citrusy local chervil.

Demarchelier Bistro (471 Main St.;

631-593-1650) has crafted the perfect

cocktail: Fleur de Cerise Margarita

($18) with cherry Blossom elixir,

tequila, lime and orange juice. Sakura

— ground cherry blossom petals —

rims the glass.

WORKSHOPS, FASHION SHOW AND

EXHIBITS AT CHARLES B. WANG CENTER

Celebrating the arrival of the cherry

blossoms is not unique to the United

States. In Japan, hanami — viewing

parties — are common; for the Japanese,

the flower symbolizes spring, while its

short life is a reminder of the fleeting

nature of our own.

Equally fleeting is the Sakura Matsuri,

a one-day cherry blossom festival cele-

brated by the Japan Center and Charles

B. Wang Center at Stony Brook Univer-

sity. On May 7 from noon to 5 p.m., the

Wang Center, with its 40 spectacular

Kwanzan cherry trees, will host an array

of Japanese cultural and culinary activi-

ties, from Taiko drumming to origami to

tea ceremony workshops.

Over the 23-year history of the rain-

or-shine festival, first started and still

coproduced by martial arts studio Ryu

Shu Kan Japanese Arts Center in Farm-

ingville, it has evolved. Attendees spon-

taneously added cosplay to the fun.

Dozens come dressed as their favorite

manga characters. Now the festival

includes a cosplay fashion show and

competition.

New this year is an accompanying

exhibition, “The Splendor of Bamboo:

Japanese Contemporary Basket,” run-

ning through May 31. “There are

really exquisite baskets in this installa-

tion,” says Wang Center director

Jinyoung Jin.

Many activities are free to the public,

but for many of the workshops atten-

dees will need a wristband; $30; $20 for

students and seniors; $10 for children 6

to 12; free for children 5 and younger.

ON THE COVER Ben and Jennifer

Susser walk among the cherry blossoms

on Main Street in Greenport last May.

VANDERBILT MANSION

There are cherry blossoms all over

Greenport — even at the harbor.

RANDEE DADDONA

WEEKEND

EVENTS

ASTRONOMY DAY The day

includes science demonstrations,

solar observing and planetarium

shows, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 to 10

p.m. at the Vanderbilt Mansion,

Museum and Planetarium on

Saturday. Admission for the day-

time show is $16, $13 ages 12 and

younger; evening show is $10, $8

ages 12 and younger; 180 Little

Neck Rd., Centerport,

vanderbiltmuseum.org,

631-854-5579.

BROADWAY ON MAIN Enjoy a

showcase of Broadway performers

singing selections from “Les Mis-

érables,” “Cats,” “Hamilton” and

more, 8 p.m. Saturday at Jeanne

Rimsky Theater at Landmark on

Main Street. Tickets start at $45;

232 Main St., Port Washington,

landmarkonmainstreet.org,

516-767-6444.

ARTS AND AUTOMOBILES LI

POP UP The event includes exotic

cars on display, an automobile art

gallery, music, fashion and more, 5

to 10 p.m. Saturday at the

Samanea Mall. Free; fee for food

and drink vendors; 1500 Old

Country Rd., Westbury,

lipopup.com/liug, 718-869-9501.

LONG ISLAND GUITAR FESTI-

VAL The festival features eclectic

and international performers,

emerging artists concert, master

classes and Q&As at Setauket

Presbyterian Church. Festival runs

9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 12:30

to 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at

$10; 5 Caroline Ave., Setauket;

ligfest.net, 631-941-4271.

ANTIQUES AND GARDEN

WEEKEND Browse through

antiques, collectibles, retro items,

folk art, estate and antique jewelry,

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and

Sunday at the Village Center.

Admission is $6; 101A E. Broadway,

Port Jefferson, portjeff-antiques

-garden.net. — LYNN PETRY

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Explore LI S3 newsday.com NEWSDAY, FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2023