Hanami: Cherry Blossom Viewing

Cherry blossom viewing, known as hanami, is a centuries-old Japanese custom, a springtime occasion for merriment and the contemplation of life’s beauty and transience. You can partake in this tradition at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, home to scores of flowering cherry tree varieties. Track the blooms here, wander around them or go on a general garden tour that touches on them. The month of viewing culminates in Hanami Nights, a ticketed event over four evenings (April 22–25) filled with music, dance and food beneath the trees in the Cherry Esplanade.