Coronavirus canceled the festival. But, you can still see N.J.’s cherry blossoms. – NJ.com

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo made the decision to close all county parks to stop the spread of coronavirus pretty early on in this public health crisis, even before he came down with the illness himself.

Anyone who knows the executive, who goes by Joe D, would realize the decision must have been a grueling one for him. Touting the park system, especially the annual Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park, is his claim to fame.

But this year, the thousands who stomp through Branch Brook Park in Newark on foot to see the pink and white blossoms will be turned away. This year’s festival has been canceled, although you can still drive through the park as long as you don’t park or exit your vehicle.

“The cherry blossoms in bloom have significant meaning for us all and their spectacular blooming season annually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors,” DiVincenzo said in a statement. “But as we take steps to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, we are encouraging people to follow social distancing guidelines and stay out of the park.”

“Everyone can enjoy the cherry blossoms in bloom again next year in 2021.”

But in the meantime, DiVincenzo provided us with a video of the cherry blossoms that were shot from a car.

(Can’t see the video? Click here.)

All other activities associated with the annual Cherry Blossom Festival have also been canceled, including the bike race, 10K and family fun run.

The 360-acre park is home to 5,000 trees — the largest collection of cherry blossoms in the United States — bigger and far more diverse than the display in Washington, D.C.

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Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico.