March 23, 2018 The Library's Spring Fling Pop-Up Exhibition Blooms on Capitol Hill

The Library of Congress is bringing the feeling of spring to Capitol Hill with a display that explores the history of the beloved Japanese cherry blossoms and the living history of the National Cherry Blossom Festival through archival objects, photographs and art.

The Library is hosting “LOC Spring Fling,” a pop-up exhibition exploring the sights, sounds and smells of the spring season through treasures from the Library’s vast collections, including a host of cherry blossom-related materials. More than 80 collection items will be on display for “Spring Fling.” The display will be on view Friday, April 6; Saturday, April 7; Friday, April 13; and Saturday, April 14, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. Tickets are available for this free exhibition but not required. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis at this event ticketing site. The first 100 guests at “LOC Spring Fling” will receive a giveaway of the Library of Congress Asian and Prints and Photographs Division.

Guests can explore international spring cultural traditions from around the world and feel the beat of the season with music and films that depict these spirited months, including recordings of the Library's Pulitzer-winning music and ballet commission “Appalachian Spring.” “LOC Spring Fling” offers an exclusive glimpse of rarely seen treasures that are preserved at the nation's library, along with engaging activities for all ages.

There will also be an opportunity to learn about the weather, seasons, gardens and botany from the Library's general and special collections. Commemorating the new spring season, the Library will host “Weather Day at LOC” with NBC 4 Washington. Storm Team 4 meteorologist Sheena Parveen will present an interactive discussion about weather and seasons, which will include a demonstration with a green screen and opportunities for guest to become weather forecasters. The discussion will take place on Friday, April 6 at 11:30 a.m. in the Thomas Jefferson Building. A brief meet and greet will take place after the presentation concludes. Tickets are not required for this talk; however, guests will be seated on a first-come first-serve basis.

In conjunction with “LOC Spring Fling,” the Library is also hosting a lecture on the National Cherry Blossom Festival posters on April 5 and Japanese Culture Day on April 7 in conjunction with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the annual celebration in Washington, D.C., of its gift of cherry trees from Japan. Thomas Burns’ lecture and Japanese Culture Day are official National Cherry Blossom Festival events. Tickets are not required for these events, which are free and open to the public.

School and tour groups are encouraged to make advance arrangements for visiting “LOC Spring Fling.” Interested parties may contact grouptours@loc.gov for more information.

The Library’s spring fever can be tracked on Twitter at @librarycongress and #SpringFling.

“LOC Spring Fling” is made possible by gifts to the Library of Congress Fund. Those interested in supporting free programs at the Library can contact devofc@loc.gov.

The Library of Congress is the world's largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States—and extensive materials from around the world—both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov, and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.