National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, Starting 10 a.m. at 7th and Constitution Ave. NW and going to 17th St., Saturday, April 10, followed by the launch of the new “Library of Congress Experience.”

After a long, if not really harsh, winter, it’s going to hit the mid-70s for the first time in 2008 on Saturday, perfect to be outside, notwithstanding some April showers. The parade is a great way to celebrate the onset of warmer weather. It will be followed by the Sakura Matsuri Japanese street festival around 12th and Pennsylvania Ave. The parade’s conclusion will also coincide with the opening of the “Library of Congress Experience” on Capitol Hill, replete with new immersive interactive exhibits and touch-screen kiosks. At noon, the brass doors of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, 10 First Street SE, will be opened to the public for the first time in over a decade. Plenty of details of the new American history experience can be found at www.MyLOC.gov