The annual spring "Horikawa Sakura Festival" was held in the area of Horikawa River Park in Kamigyo Ward and Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City on March 30, 2025. Families with children enjoyed the stalls and live performances while admiring the Kawazu and Yokou cherry blossoms blooming along the roadside.
The event was started in 2009 when the riverbed was developed to foster awareness of environmental beautification. This is the 14th time it has been held, and is organized by the "Horikawa and Horikawa Street Beautification Association," a group of local residents. Normally, the Kawazu cherry blossoms begin to fall in mid-March, but this year, the cold weather has caused the festival and the best viewing period to overlap.
At the venue, each school district in the ward set up stalls selling yakisoba noodles and dumplings, and people lined up to buy them. There were also brass band and hip hop dance performances, which helped to liven up the event.
