Happening over just nine days in August, this festival to all things sakura is a sign that spring has sprung.
Stepping into the Auburn Botanic Gardens is stepping into Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen National Gardens.
Only with slightly fewer skyscrapers towering over the grounds painted pink with the spring cherry blossoms.
You will need to pre-book tickets, which cost $11.95 each unless you’re a Cumberland Council resident or younger than 16.
With your ticket, you’ll get 45 minutes along the cherry blossom route (starting on the hour from 9am until 4pm). You’ll also get entry to the festival grounds, including the Japanese Food Village, which offers about a dozen mostly-Japanese food stalls. On site there is also a mini-putt course, mocktail bar and DJ.
But of course, the real highlight are the cherry blossoms.
Set amongst a picturesque Japanese garden, the cherry blossom trees follow a path around a pond complete with koi swimming around. There’s a small structure on one side making you feel as if you’ve gotten lost in a garden in Kyoto or Osaka.
The trees blossom for just a few weeks a year in late August, just a few weeks before spring officially begins.
We were lucky to be there on a brilliant, sunny day with clear, blue skies overhead. If you’re flexible and can control when you go, this sky makes for an excellent backdrop to the pale, pink flowers.
What did we eat at the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival?
Found on a lawn next to the cherry blossom route, the Japanese Food Village offers a range of dining options, both savoury and sweet.
Everything we ate was tasty and not too pricey.
- Tempura mushrooms from The Fun Guys
- Onigiri from Onigiri Lab
- Seaweed salad and chicken karaage from Come on mate!
- Beef skewers from Hoy Pinoy
- Green tea crème brulee from Torch Me Crème Brulee
When and where is the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival?
Auburn Botanic Gardens is home to the festival, which is about 2.5 kilometres from Auburn Station. There are shuttle busses available between the two locations every 20 minutes. If you’re driving, it’s probably best to find parking on a nearby side street.
The festival started on Saturday, 20 August and runs until Sunday 28 August 2022. The gates are open from 9am to 5pm daily, but you can only enter the cherry blossom route at your assigned time.
Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival in a nutshell
The good
The Japanese Food Village had a great variety of food and was very on-theme with the festival. The area wasn’t too crowded and had tables and grassy areas to sit and enjoy your mean.
The bad
The crowds. Although it is a ticketed event, the number of people allowed in during each 45-minute session is quite high, and the first half of the cherry blossom route is very crowded and slow.
We did visit on a Sunday afternoon, so if you can, try to visit during the week when there would likely be fewer crowds… And fewer people in the background of your pictures.
You’ll want to take plenty!
