About the role#
The National Cherry Blossom Festival seeks interns to join the Events and Operations team. You will support the planning and execution of signature events, including the Opening Ceremony, the Blossom Kite Festival, Petalpalooza, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. This role offers hands-on experience in nonprofit event production, logistics, and vendor management. Interns will work on specific projects to build professional skills and create resources for future festival planning.
What you'll do#
- Participate in programming, production, and planning meetings with staff, vendors, and partners.
- Assist with vendor outreach, research, estimates, contract administration, and resource coordination.
- Develop production schedules, run-of-show documents, and event planning materials.
- Support performer, participant, and VIP hospitality planning and logistics.
- Provide onsite event support during meetings, site visits, and festival events, including setup and load-in tasks.
What you'll need#
- Current enrollment as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited university or college.
- Experience with operations, activity management, event management, research, or project coordination.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
- Ability to perform physical labor, such as lifting boxes and assisting with event setup.
- Comfort working in both office and outdoor settings.
Location & details#
- Location: Washington, DC.
- Modality: Hybrid, with required onsite work at the downtown office and festival events.
- Terms: Fall 2026 and Winter 2027.
- Status: This is an unpaid internship. It is not a full-time position.
About National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, District of Columbia. Founded in 2000, it produces annual events that celebrate the 1912 gift of cherry blossom trees to the city. The organization promotes international friendship between the United States and Japan through arts, culture, and community programming. It maintains a staff of 11 to 50 employees.
How to get in at National Cherry Blossom Festival
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