Monday, February 3, 2020

Do You Remember 2019 Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival Massive Crowds Creating Transportation Chaos? Won't Happen Again This Year, RIOC Says No Cherry Blossom Festival For 2020

The Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival began as a small local event organized by the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) in 2011to support relief efforts on behalf of Japanese earthquake victims. Each succeeding year, the Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival attracted more and more people until massive crowds arrived last year, (approximately 40 thousand people) overwhelming the Roosevelt Island transportation system. Roosevelt Island was fortunate that there were no injuries or worse.

Remember this?








Roosevelt Island residents have been worried about a repeat this year of the Cherry Blossom Festival disaster. Rumors have been circulating that RIRA was planning another Cherry Blossom Festival for this year.

Today the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) put a stop to the rumors, announcing:
No Cherry Blossom Festival on Roosevelt Island This Year

There will not be a Cherry Blossom Festival on Roosevelt Island this year. Any reports to the contrary are false. Although we will not be having a formal festival, we do encourage people to visit the cherry blossoms once they bloom this Spring.
Here's more on the 2019 Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival mess.

UPDATE 7:30 PM - Reaction from readers:
  • It was so poorly planned! It was a nightmare. Please let’s not repeat that fiasco again. I’ve lived on the Island for over 30 years! We’ve had these celebrations in past years, never like last year! Don’t know if it was overly advertised or what, but it was not executed properly! And then RIOC just took off!
  • I’m so happy thank you
  • I am thrilled. The less tourists on Roosevelt Island, the better! Events should be for RI residents and their guests only!
  • Was barely a “festival.” Thousands of people and one lemonade stand. Entertainment meant to serve a hundred people. Cops directing traffic to literally nothing. It was truly bizarre.
  • Wow now that’s one way to control the crowd . I’m surprised the island is still afloat with 40k visitors and residents.. Good old Rock
  • Wow doesn’t work out.... just cancel it !!!? Lpl
  • I guess they rather not put in the effort for better organization, much easier to cancel what a shame!

UPDATE 8:25 PM - Statement by RIRA's Social, Cultural and Education Committee on the Status of the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Since 2011, Roosevelt Island residents have enjoyed the beauty of the cherry blossom groves by welcoming performers and others who brought diverse aspects of Japanese culture and traditions to our community in an annual celebration, the Cherry Blossom Festival. Historically, our Cherry Blossom Festival was created by then-Island resident Junko Hasegawa and former Co-Chair Lynne Shinozaki in response to the 2011 Japanese Tsunami Relief Efforts. Hasegawa recruited world class performance groups to volunteer their talents and the assistance of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association and the Roosevelt Island Japanese Association. Tatsuya Yamamoto, another neighbor, recruited several Japanese restaurants and merchants to contribute their wares. Shinozaki engaged other local businesses and organizations to support the Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival through donations of goods, services, volunteers and funds. What was initially a relief effort became our annual community event enjoyed by thousands of our neighbors.

These events were in collaboration with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, local merchants, community organizations, residents and volunteer musicians and performers. Over time, supporters included Amalgamated Bank, Cornell Tech, FDR Memorial Four Freedoms Park, Gallery RIVAA, Hornblower Ferry, the James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation, Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance, Manhattan Park and our other generous island building managements, New York Public Library, Noguchi Museum, Resobox, Roosevelt Island Disabled Association, Roosevelt island Historical Society, and the Roosevelt Island Parents Network.

The festival’s deep ties to our Island community and to Japanese residents of the metropolitan area contributed to its popularity, reaching unexpected success.

At this point, the Cherry Blossom Festival requires professional management to ensure the safety of the performers and visitors. The logistics of overseeing attendance and transportation, coupled with unsolicited event listings in the news and social media coverage, have made running the event more challenging for the volunteer organizers.

Accordingly, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association’s Social, Cultural and Education Committee has decided not to organize a Cherry Blossom Festival in 2020.

We certainly plan to encourage our neighbors to take in the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossom trees, but will not arrange any formal programs.

We gratefully thank the many supporters who have made the Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival such a memorable and fantastic event for everyone who attended our ten years of celebrations.

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 4:09:00 PM

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