Georgetown Is Rolling Out the Sidewalks for Tourists This Weekend

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Georgetown is welcoming tourists with open arms this weekend when the cherry blossoms will be at their peak and the weather is forecast to be sunny and in the 70s. Here are all the details, from the Georgetown Business Improvement District:

To enhance the experience of being in Georgetown during this weekend’s National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) will temporarily widen the sidewalks of M Street between 29th-31st Streets starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 10 through 5 p.m. Sunday, April 12.

Additionally, drivers can get discounted parking at nearby garages on Saturday and Sunday if they buy online, and the DC Circulator will offer a FREE northbound ride up Wisconsin Avenue, NW both days.

Sidewalks will be widened on both the North and South sides—providing eight extra feet of pedestrian space on each side during one of the neighborhood’s busiest seasons. View a list of cherry blossom-themed activities and specials in Georgetown here.

“Georgetown is a top destination every day of the year, but we always see much heavier visitation on weekends, especially over the Cherry Blossom Festival season,” said Joe Sternlieb,Georgetown BID CEO. “Georgetown is wonderful place to shop, dine, and explore D.C. history, and the sidewalk widening pilot is part of our ongoing effort to improve the experience of being in our commercial district.”

This sidewalk widening pilot, the fourth of such experiments, is a key action item outlined in the Georgetown 2028 15 Year Action Plan. Additional sidewalk widening is planned this spring, for the Georgetown French Market on April 24 and 25 (widening will be April 25 and 26) and over commencement weekend for Georgetown University and George Washington University May 15-17.

The BID will sponsor free DC Circulator rides on the northbound segment of the Union Station-to-Georgetown route for any passenger boarding a bus between 30th/K stop and Whitehaven Parkway stop (30th/K, Wisconsin/K, Wisconsin/M, Wisconsin/N, Wisconsin/Q, and Wisconsin/R).

Colonial Parking will offer $10 all-day parking rates at 1050 Thomas Jefferson Street and $5 all-day parking at 1055 Thomas Jefferson Street with online purchase available viahttp://www.ecolonial.com/locations/georgetown-parking/. Additional garage parking is available throughout Georgetown; to find a space near your destination, book online viahttp://www.georgetowndc.com/parking/.

PHOTO courtesy of Georgetown BID