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The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off today, and for Alexandria Metro riders who have spent the last couple of months navigating shuttle buses and station closures, there is welcome news: the trains will be running.
Metro, the festival's official transit partner, has paused all major track work from today through April 18, meaning no weekend closures at Crystal City, National Airport, or Potomac Yard stations during the heart of cherry blossom season. It is the first stretch of uninterrupted weekend rail service on the Blue and Yellow lines since the Crystal City station closures began Feb. 14.
Those closures — 10 weekends of shutdowns tied to construction of a second entrance at Crystal City — have forced Alexandria riders to rely on shuttle buses between Pentagon City and National Airport since mid-February. The last closure before the festival break was March 7-8, one of the extended weekends that also shut down National Airport and Potomac Yard. The closures will resume May 9.
Peak bloom, peak ridership
The National Park Service has predicted peak bloom between March 29 and April 1, a window that historically brings the heaviest crowds. Last year, Metro recorded 710,000 rail trips on Saturday, March 29, during peak bloom — the highest single-day ridership since 2019 and the second-busiest Saturday in the system's history.
Metro says it is running frequent service across all lines and expects similar crowds this year. The agency has positioned extra trains throughout the system, added buses on key routes, and increased police and staff presence at stations near the Tidal Basin.
The festival runs through April 12 and includes several marquee events: the Kite Festival on March 28 on the National Mall, Petalpalooza on April 4 at the Capital Riverfront, the Cherry Blossom Parade on April 11 along Constitution Avenue, and the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler on April 12, when Metro will open an hour early at 5 a.m. for runners and spectators.
What Alexandria riders should know
Riders boarding at King Street-Old Town, Braddock Road, Potomac Yard, and other Alexandria stations can reach the Tidal Basin without transferring. Blue Line riders can take trains directly to the Smithsonian, Federal Triangle, or L'Enfant Plaza, while Yellow Line riders can reach L'Enfant Plaza or Archives.
Metro recommends L'Enfant Plaza, Archives or Federal Triangle over Smithsonian, which is the nearest stop to the Tidal Basin but can become extremely crowded during peak times. Smithsonian is about a 10-minute walk; the alternatives are roughly 20 minutes out.
Metro has also opened a pop-up merchandise shop at 300 7th St. SW, across from L'Enfant Plaza station, selling cherry blossom-themed apparel and Metro gear through April 12.
A few other tips for the festival stretch: parking is free at all Metro-owned garages and lots on weekends, and bus transfers are free when connecting to or from rail. Riders can also purchase one-day, three-day or seven-day unlimited passes.
For those looking to grab a commemorative cherry blossom SmarTrip card, more than 20,000 limited-edition cards go on sale today at seven stations, including Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — one stop up the Yellow Line from Alexandria. The cards, featuring artwork called "America in Bloom" by artist Tim Yanke, are available at fare vending machines while supplies last. Riders may also spot one of Metro's cherry blossom-wrapped vehicles — a train, three buses and a MetroAccess van decked out in pink, fuchsia and white — which can be tracked at wmata.com/live.
After the blossoms
The reprieve from weekend closures won't last. Crystal City station shutdowns resume May 9 and continue through June 21, with six more closure weekends remaining. Two of those — May 9-10 and May 16-17 — will again extend the service gap to Braddock Road, closing National Airport and Potomac Yard stations as well.
But for the next four weeks, Alexandria riders can leave the shuttle bus schedules at home.
For real-time service information, visit wmata.com or download the MetroPulse app. Riders can also sign up for MetroAlerts at wmata.com or follow @wmata on X and Bluesky.
