Sarah Bass Photos
The magnificent cherry blossoms have begun their annual display of natural beauty in Wooster Square Park.
That usually means that Wooster Square comes together for a festival to celebrate. Because of the pandemic, that festival is being postponed again this year, until next April.
But of course that hasn’t stopped the trees from blooming — and from attracting not just neighbors but visitors on annual pilgrimages to soak in the beauty.
In 1973, the New Haven Historic Commission, the parks department and neighbors planted 72 Yoshino Japanese cherry blossom trees around Wooster Square’s perimeter. Every April since, as petals cover the sidewalks like a thawing, pink frost, the neighborhood has celebrated spring’s arrival with a festival in the trees’ honor. Except for this April and last April, when the Covid-19 pandemic put a kibosh on such gatherings.
Read about previous years’ festivals here, here and here.
The photos in this story were taken on Sunday.