Montreal's Botanical Garden is hosting a giant spring picnic under glorious pink blossoms

Montreal cherry blossoms may be on their way out, but you still have time to make the most of our city's beautiful spring blooms. The crabapple blossoms — commonly confused with cherry blossoms because of how similar they look — are beginning to flower, painting the town new hues of pink, as ordinary trees transform into extraordinary ones.

To celebrate crabapple blossom season, the Montreal Botanical Garden is hosting a giant picnic under the flowering trees in its Japanese Garden.

Picnicking is not normally allowed in the Japanese Garden so this is a rare treat, inspired by the ancient Japanese tradition of o-hanami.

"During the Heian period in Japan (794-1185), aristocrats organized celebrations under the flowering cherry trees. This led to the tradition of o-hanami: contemplating (mi) the blossoms (hana)," the Foundation of the Japanese Garden and Pavilion of Montreal website reads.

"Japanese cherry trees are not very hardy and seldom bloom in our climate, but our many flowering crabapples will create a similarly peaceful and romantic atmosphere."

Picnic-goers each get an O-Bentô (Japanese lunch box) packed with vegetarian sushi rolls, fried tofu sushi, fried chicken, grilled salmon, a Japanese omelette, burdock, sweet-and-sour meatballs, seaweed salad, soy sauce spinach and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Organizers also promise cultural activities for picnickers to enjoy as they eat, such as Arashi Daïko (japanese drums), Groupe Sandokaï (traditional martial arts), and traditional Japanese dance.

The 2024 O-hanami Picnic Under the Flowering Crabapple Trees is set to take place May 19.

To register for the event, reserve a lunch box on the Foundation website here. It's $26 per box, not including admission to the Garden (typically around $20 per adult).

Don’t forget to bring a blanket!

O-hanami Picnic Under the Flowering Crabapple Trees 2024

A crowd picnicking at the Montreal Botanical Garden's Japanese Garden.

espace pour la vie

Price: $26 per boxed lunch, plus the price of admission to the Botanical Gardens

When: Sunday, May 19, 2024 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Address: Botanical Garden/Jardin botanique, 4101, rue Sherbrooke E.

Accessibility: "All public areas of the Jardin botanique are wheelchair accessible, including the pavilions, most trails and washroom facilities," according to espace pour la vie.

Montreal Botanical Garden website

Foundation of the Japanese Garden and Pavilion of Montreal website

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.