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Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and The State Society of Rhode Island are seeking a motivated young woman between the ages of 19 and 24 to represent Rhode Island as our 2023 Rhode Island Cherry Blossom Princess. The 2023 princess will represent the great state of Rhode Island the week of April 9-15 in Washington D.C. during the National Cherry Blossom Celebration. This year’s princess crowning will take place in March. Historically, this exciting crowning ceremony has occurred in the governor’s private chambers.
The Cherry Blossom princess is charged with representing Rhode Island at public and private events with government, business, arts and media leaders held throughout the week of the National Cherry Blossom Celebration in Washington, D.C. In the past decade alone, the Cherry Blossom princesses have met with former First Lady Laura Bush; toured the White House; attended events at the Japanese ambassador’s residence; visited Arlington Cemetery, the Institute for Peace, Kennedy Center and the national monuments; performed community service for the homeless; promoted literacy at local elementary schools; and learned about the Japanese culture and the friendship between Japan and the United States.
Each princess has been selected by their State Society based on their achievements, and all the princesses are qualified to represent the United States. During the National Cherry Blossom Celebration, a queen is selected among the class of state Cherry Blossom princess representatives. It is the tradition of the program that the queen is selected by the spinning of a wheel. The wheel is spun once for the runner up and a second time for the queen.
The queen then gets the opportunity to visit Japan on a goodwill tour to celebrate the friendship between the United States and Japan. She will visit Tokyo and is hosted by the Japan Sakura Foundation and meets with many local dignitaries and the prime minister. She also is hosted by the Gakudo Kofu Foundation in Ise City, where she visits Pearl Island. In recent years, the U.S. queen visited Shikuoka, where the research laboratory that created the Cherry Blossom trees that surround the Tidal Basin were developed.
This experience is truly one-of-a-kind!
Please make sure to hand in your application ASAP!
The application submission deadline is Friday, February 10, 2023.
For more information, application and princess requirements, go to cherryblossomprogram.com.
And for any questions, please contact Amanda Mograss, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 401-724-2200.
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