Hanami (花見) or "flower viewing" in Japanese, is a cherished tradition celebrating the ephemeral splendor of cherry blossoms, known as "sakura." It's a poetic homage to life's transient beauty, embraced with contemplation and joy.
We invite you to register for our 2025 Hanami picnic and are excited to welcome guests to our second annual Hanami Days. This year we will offer one picnic date, Saturday May 17. Your day begins at 12 noon with a tour of the cherry orchards and samples of our product, and will conclude with a BYO picnic by the lake in our century old estate grounds.
GROW WITH US AS OUR TREES MATURE
Traditionally Hanami is enjoyed under the cherry blossoms at full bloom with petals falling slowly on the breeze. Since our trees are very young and this dreamscape canopy is still a few years away, we invite you to tour the orchard and then picnic in Blenheim Park’s private gardens, alongside the pristine shores of McCurdy Pond. Dining lakeside will be a more lovely experience in these early years.
BYO PICNIC BASKET
Admission does not include food so pack your picnic basket to the brim with your favorite foods and refreshing beverages and we’ll do all the work of creating a beautiful environment for you to dine with friends to welcome Spring to the beautiful midcoast of Maine.
Hanami, a Japanese tradition, embodies the poetic dance between fleeting beauty and eternal appreciation.
Your ticket includes use of a dining table with chairs in the garden, complete with lace tablecloth and bud vase, or a picnic blanket if you’d prefer. We’ll have lawn games set up along with lovely vintage music floating over the grounds. We’ll also include samples of our cherry based products and a coupon you can redeem in our farm store to take home a little memento of the day.
As Spring arrives, friends gather to celebrate the transient beauty of cherry blossoms, a fleeting moment cherished with picnics, poetry, and contemplation under blooming trees.
TOUR THE ORCHARD, SAMPLE PRODUCTS, SHOP IN OUR FARM STORE
Your day will begin at 12:00 noon with a tour of the Sour Cherry and Cherry Blossom Orchards, where you’ll learn about the varietals we’re growing, the history of the beloved cherry blossom, and you can sample some of the products we’re creating here at Blenheim Park.
haru kaze ni / fukidashi warau / hana mogana
A Spring breeze is blowing
I’m bursting with laughter
— wishing for flowers
Matsuo Basho, Spring, 1668
PICNIC IN THE GROUNDS OF A CENTURY OLD ESTATE
We’ll then make our way to the private home of Blenheim Park’s owners, surrounded by flower gardens, next to a sparkling lake, where you can relax and dine on the fine fare you’ve prepared while being serenaded by the loons and vintage melodies as you soak up the beautiful views or get your ‘old sport’ on with a game of croquet, bocce or badminton. The event will wrap up at 4:30pm and you are welcome to browse in our farm store or stroll through the orchard until we close the property at 5:00pm.
Haru, 春 is the Japanese word for Spring.
BLENHEIM PARK, BEAUTIFUL ALL YEAR LONG
Cherry blossom season usually lasts about a month from the earliest bloomers to the latest. Blenheim Park’s orchard has a variety of trees to extend the viewing period. Dates for peak bloom will vary every year for this event, depending on weather, and the viewing will grow more beautiful with each passing year as our trees mature.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
One ticket is for one person. If booking for a group please select the appropriate number in your party. Children 12 and under are free.
Each paid ticket includes an orchard tour, a $10 coupon for our Farm Store, samples of our products and a picnic setting, lakeside. Pack your own picnic!
In the event of rain, we will reschedule the picnic to May 24. Guests will be welcome to visit the Farm Store, all weather.
Please bring your own beverages. Blenheim Park is located in a town which has been ‘dry’ since Prohibition therefore we are not licensed to sell alcohol. We will have delicious cherry-based mocktails and other beverages available for you to purchase on site.
Not everyone shares our love of pets, so please leave yours at home for this event. (but do check out our Dog Halloween Parade and start planning your joint costumes now!).
For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, we ask that you observe our no-smoking policy throughout the property, thank you.
Protecting the beautiful waterways of Maine is a role we’re passionate about, we are in fact Stewards of the McCurdy Islands Preserve, so we ask you not to bring paper napkins or any other picnic goods likely to ‘take flight’ so they do not end up in the lake.
Our aim is to provide you with a lovely, elegant afternoon, so thank you for not bringing in outside seating, grills or electronic music devices. (Lutes, Harps, Sitars and Mandolins welcome). ;)
Please advise in advance if anyone in your group has special needs so we are able to make a plan to accommodate them, since we are a working farm and some areas of the orchard are not readily wheelchair accessible. Thank you.
WORKING FARM — NO LIABILITY FOR INJURY
Warning: Under Maine law, there is no liability for injury to a participant in an agritourism activity conducted at this agritourism location if such injury results from the inherent risks of the agritourism activity. Inherent risks of agritourism activities include, among others, risks of injury inherent to land, equipment and animals, as well as the potential for injury if you act in a negligent manner. You are assuming the risk of participating in this agritourism activity.
As Spring arrives, friends gather to celebrate the transient beauty of cherry blossoms, a fleeting moment cherished with picnics, poetry, and contemplation under blooming trees.