The start of May brings what is now an annual ritual for many living in Toronto and that is the Cherry Blossom festival. Every year thousands for people flock almost ritualistically to High Park to catch sight of th soft pastoral colours of these delicate blossoms and for our social media obsessed masses to capture the perfect selfie!
For a brief few weeks the social media streams are flooded with the light pinks and whites, a sign that the city is coming back to life after a cold and dull winter. Finding the perfect spot and angle to capture the blossoms has become an art form as the constant (and ever growing) crowds can make it challenging to get an uninterrupted picture. There are we few things that would help with this.
One consideration is the timing, weekends are the most popular and therefore the worst time to go. If you want to avoid the crowds try to go during the week, while it is not a certainty the traffic most often would be more manageable. It is even better if you can to go during the early hours of the day ( avoid lunch time and evenings).
The Second of course is the location, while High Park is the most popular spot and therefore the most well know, there are a number of other locations throughout the city that are often overlooked. These include the universities of York and UofT , as well as the other parks around the GTA like Toronto Island, Edwards Gardens, Trinity Bellwoods and Centennial park. For a full list of locations and the numbers of trees check out the link: Cherry Blossom locations in Toronto.
In the end there is a reason why High Park is the most popular! With a high concentration of mature trees (gifted from Japan in 1959 to the City of Toronto), a stroll under them can be a beautiful springtime activity. This does not take away from the beauty that all the other locations give you and between all the options you are sure to find the perfect selfie! Get ready Toronto the Cherry Blossoms are ready to come out in all their glory.