SOURCE: National Park Service, 11th Street Bridge Park, and National Cherry Blossom Festival
For Immediate Release
Media Contacts:
Emily Linroth
National Park Service
emily_linroth@nps.gov
202.619.7156
Shahara Anderson-Davis
11th Street Bridge Park
shahara@bridgepark.org
202.889.5901 x207
Nora Strumpf
National Cherry Blossom Festival
nstrumpf@ncbfdc.org
202.638.8374
2017 Anacostia River Festival
Celebrate the Anacostia River and Biking Along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail!
Washington, D.C. (February 13, 2017) – The National Park Service and the 11th Street Bridge Park
present the third annual Anacostia River Festival, a premier event of the National Cherry Blossom
Festival. This year’s program will have a special focus on biking in the District and will celebrate the
new extension of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail to Bladensburg, MD. Held in Anacostia Park,
this FREE event will encourage District residents and visitors alike to explore communities and parks
east of the river. In 2016, the Anacostia River Festival attracted nearly 8,000 participants to Anacostia
Park.
Anacostia River Festival
When: Sunday, April 9, 2017; 1 pm – 5 pm
Where: National Park Service’s Anacostia Park. Good Hope Road & Anacostia Drive SE
Who: FREE and open to the public.
For more information: bridgepark.org/ARF
“As we enter our third year, the festival has become a much anticipated community celebration.
Residents from both sides of the river and across the D.C. region can discover the Anacostia – an
amazing natural treasure that can be explored this year by both bike and boat” said Scott Kratz, 11th
Street Bridge Park Director.
The festival will feature art exhibitions, live music performances, hands-on activities and special
biking activities. Visitors can participate in recycled art projects, fishing workshops, the annual fish
bicycle parade, trail rides, bike tune-up stations, safety stations, urban gardening, lawn games,
boating and other family-friendly activities re-engaging residents and visitors alike with the
Anacostia River and historic Anacostia neighborhood.
“The Anacostia River Festival is a great way for residents and visitors of the D.C. area to celebrate the
beauty in their backyard,” said Tara D. Morrison, Anacostia Park Superintendent. “This year we are
excited to showcase the extension of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail—a path that is connecting more
communities with this signature urban park. We hope to see you in the park, on the river and on the
trail.”
Held in Anacostia Park, one of America’s national parks and steps away from the future 11th Street
Bridge Park, the event is FREE of charge and a premier event of the National Cherry Blossom
Festival.
”The Anacostia River Festival extends the National Cherry Blossom Festival beyond the blossoms at
the Tidal Basin and into our city’s incredible neighborhoods” said Diana Mayhew, National Cherry
Blossom Festival President. “This family-friendly outdoor event is a great way to celebrate the beauty
of nature right in our own backyards at the Anacostia River.”
The Anacostia River Festival is presented by the National Park Service and the 11th Street Bridge Park
in partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Funds for the Anacostia River Festival are
provided in part by Bloomberg. Other supporters include The Kresge Foundation, The Drew
Company/Trade Center Management Associates, TD Bank, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the
Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., The Yards, City First Bank of DC, LISC DC, The Menkiti Group and MRP
Realty.
About the National Park Service
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work
with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home
recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook
www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube
www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
The National Park Service is working to make Anacostia Park a signature urban park that improves
people’s lives and protects the quality and resiliency of the Anacostia River ecosystem. The park
provides inspirational natural spaces easily accessible to area residents and visitors and offers a
wide range of recreational and educational opportunities. To learn more about Anacostia Park visit
www.nps.gov/anac.
About the 11th Street Bridge Park
The 11th Street Bridge Park, a project of Ward 8 based nonprofit Building Bridges Across the River,
will be Washington, D.C.’s first elevated public park located on the piers of the old 11th Street Bridge
spanning the Anacostia River: a new venue for healthy recreation; environmental education and the
arts. After a seven-month design competition, the design team of OMA+OLIN was selected in
October 2014. With the ongoing capital campaign securing more than $15 million to date, the Bridge
Park draws on an extensive community outreach and consultative process, anchored by more than
700 stakeholder meetings for design development and impact. Pre-construction began in 2016 and
the park is expected to open by late 2019.
About the National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is the nation’s greatest springtime celebration. The 2017
Festival, March 20 – April 16, includes four weeks of events featuring diverse and creative
programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and
community spirit. Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org or call 877.44.BLOOM for more
information and find us on Facebook (CherryBlossomFestival), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest), and
Instagram (@CherryBlossFest).
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http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/parade/
